Artificial intelligence is all over the news lately, and the latest development to capture the public’s attention is the release of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s new chatbot. This breakthrough technology has given us a glimpse of what generative AI is capable of, and it’s opened up a world of possibilities.
We’ve already seen AI used in a variety of applications, from search engines to writing essays and creating images. Yet, the newest advancements in generative AI are even more impressive, suggesting that the possibilities for automation are virtually limitless.
For instance, take a look at Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and DALL-E 2, three AI visual applications that produce similarly comprehensible images. This technology is a far cry from the rudimentary programming that once was the only way to achieve such effects.
The implications of generative AI are far-reaching, and they’re inspiring all sorts of wild predictions, ranging from the death of search engines to the end of homework and the hollowing-out of creative professions. While these predictions may seem abstract, they’re not without merit. After all, when an AI bot like ChatGPT can write a coherent story or essay in seconds, it’s only natural to wonder if human creativity – slow and often uncertain – might be superfluous.
We’ve been here before. In 1839, a French painter named Louis Daguerre stunned members of the Académie des Sciences and the Académie des Beaux Arts in Paris with his invention of the first practical method of photography.
Like generative AI, Daguerre’s invention inspired a variety of predictions, from the death of painting to the end of illustration. But of course, history has proven otherwise. Photography and other digital media merely supplemented the traditional arts, rather than replacing them outright.
The same is likely true of generative AI. Though it may supplant certain tasks, it won’t replace human creativity entirely. Rather, it will create a new digital landscape in which creative professionals can explore, experiment and create.
In sum, generative AI and digital media form a winning combination, one that will open up a world of possibilities for creative professionals. The possibilities are limitless, and the only limit to what can be achieved is our imagination.
