AI IS FAKE AF.
AI is here to stay, and the impact it is already having on both the workforce and the economy is terrifying.
"Molly, you in danger girl." That is me to myself. And to all of you as well, tbh. If you do not know the 1990 class film reference, please do yourself a favor and pause to enjoy the iconic (anti-Millennial and Gen-Z comments aside) Whoopi Goldberg.
Anyway, this week at Too Queer To Fear is about the latest wave of artificial intelligence. Undoubtedly, AI is here to stay, and the impact it is already having on both the workforce and the economy is terrifying. While we continue living through the age of fake news and global distractions masked as TikTok trends, red carpets, and reality TV drama, my biggest concern is AI’s ongoing impact on the already decimated line between fact and fiction.
Sora OpenAI is a revolutionary text-to-video technology that can generate videos based on descriptive prompts, alter existing videos, and produce videos from still images. This technology is the latest installment from U.S. based company OpenAI, and the launch of Sora OpenAI changes everything for creatives and corporate empires globally. The film, photography, and content creation industries have changed forever. Yes, Sora OpenAI blows the door open to these historically gatekept industries. It is an opportunity for accessibility and for creatives to make their mark. These are great things. But at what cost?
Much like anything else in life, there are pros and cons. While many of us will celebrate the accessibility of creative expression, we are all at risk. Not too long ago, we saw an entire election influenced by foreign tampering, bots, and the manipulation of facts. More recently, filmmaker Tyler Perry announced that he was putting a planned $800 million studio expansion project on hold indefinitely after seeing the “mind-blowing” capabilities of Sora’s text-to-video model.
For all the opportunities offered by AI technology, we’re seeing in real-time how it can result in misinformation, exploitation, and job elimination. While the continuous advancement of technology is fascinating, there are no laws in place to protect us from being lied to or exploited. We saw this in the SAG strikes against the use of AI technology to create digital replicas and synthetic performers, rendering the skill and art of acting irrelevant in the not-so-distant future.
So we must ask ourselves, What are we willing to sacrifice in exchange for reducing labor costs through the use of technology? Take a moment to ask yourself what side of technology will you be on. Will you participate in utilizing new technologies like Sora OpenAI to ease the production process of your creative aspirations? Will you advocate and lobby for new laws to protect accuracy in digital documentation, media, and entertainment? Will you do both?
The fact is that this kind of technology is here to stay and will only continue to advance and infiltrate entire workforces and industries. As individuals, we all have a responsibility to participate in ensuring the greater good of our future is protected.
Let me know your thoughts by emailing me at ricardo@queerency.com, and I may share your perspective in one of my next columns!"
