AI is all the rage - is it for you?
I’ll admit it - I’m a tech nerd. I never miss the Apple announcements. I create art on my iPad (as well as on canvas) and I love finding and using the newest tools in my work. So it’s natural that I should play with the latest craze, AI - artificial intelligence. I’ve used AI to generate art on Midjourney.com. I’ve used it to brainstorm blog posts. I’ve used it to make an audit of my website. I’ve even used it to make a to-do list.
So, is AI for you? There’s no chance of closing the barn door - this horse has left the stable. It’s not a matter of whether AI will affect you - it’s a matter of how it will affect you. Because you will be touched by it - whether you know it or not. Companies large and small will be using it to write emails, ads and just about everything on the Internet.
Will it replace artists, writers, musicians? Not in my opinion. And not in the opinion of a bunch of people a lot smarter than me. For one simple reason - AI has no imagination. It can only create based on what you put in. Take a look at the two images below.
This image was created in Midjourney.com with this very simple text prompt: “graphic of woman sitting at computer.”
This image was created in Midjourney.com with a more complicated text prompt: “graphic of woman sitting at computer in pop art style, highly stylized, ultimate detail, showing an office setting.”
As you can see, it’s a classic case of “garbage in - garbage out.” The image on the left is not very interesting and has nowhere near the level of detail that the image on the right has. AI can only give me back what I put in. It has no imagination. I have to do the work first - and carefully describe what I need the software to do for me.
I will continue to use Midjourney and Chat GPT because I’m curious - and you should be curious too! Don’t be afraid to dip your toe into the water of artificial intelligence. It’s a tool, just like a paintbrush or a camera. And it depends on the operator (that’s you) to tell it what to do.
Resources:
Midjourney.com - has a free trial account.
ChatGPT - is entirely free.
Further reading: