A Very Timely Newsletter on Generative AI

This week, I am taking on something that could be considered quite "scandalous" right now. No it isn't about an unsolved crime, UFO's, or planting miniature nano machines into your bloodstream. We'll leave that to the YouTube bloggers. (teasing)

Over the last few weeks a few interesting things have occured:

1. California passed a set of laws regulating deep fakes and AI.
2. Lionsgate signed a major deal with Runway (an AI company)
3. Lucasfilm was sued for using the likeness of Peter Cushing to recreate the character for Tarkin for Rogue One.

In short: AI has been in the news.

However, all of this news has created something even worse: Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. (FUD) My artist friends are worried about losing their jobs to AI. In fact nearly every profession has some kind of concern if AI will ultimately make their profession either obsolete or simply just reduce the number of human beings employed.

Conducting An Experiment

The Parameters

I decided to take on a very dubious experiment. My experiment would have the following parameters:

1. Use 100% AI generated content. From sound to graphics to animations.
2. Use AI to help design the story. I would give the AI what I wanted, and have it fill in the gaps.
3. Using a known IP. (Would I be blocked or prevented?)
4. Attempt to tell a small, but compelling story through song in a style known to the audience.

The Embodiment

To begin, I used an IP from the Disney Company. (Disney. I made sure to put disclaimers and acknowledge you did not sanction this. This was for education purposes only -- a laboratory experiment.) I used Mickey Mouse which is probably the world's most famous IP. I also wanted to prove that generative AI has NO safety locks on copyrighted content.

Second, I wanted to tell a story. My idea was that Mickey Mouse would run for president. In order to realize the story, I utilized an AI song writing service. This service would write the lyrics, implement the vocals, and all the instrument tracks.

Third, I wanted the style to emulate the Disney Channel of the 1980s and 1990s. I made sure that both the graphics and song style accomplished this. Everything had to feel somewhat authentic.

Results

Disclaimer: This video contains content generated by artificial intelligence and is not an official or authorized work of Disney. All characters, settings, and concepts depicted belong to their respective copyright holders. This video is a creative, fan-made expression and is not intended for commercial use, nor does it claim any affiliation with or endorsement by Disney's creators, studios, or trademark holders. Viewer discretion is advised, as the content presented may differ from the official depictions and narrative of the original work. The purpose of this video is to demonstrate what can be currently created with generative AI for music, graphics, and animation. This video was done as an experiment to generate a discussion of the potential ramifications of new technology. (creative, and legal) Although the Disney logo is depicted in graphics (generated by AI) this is NOT a Disney product. The Disney logo was generated by AI and exists solely as a component of the demonstration.

First, it is very important to call out that none of the AI services I utilized objected to me using a proprietary IP. Not a single service popped up with, "This is a copyright violation of the Disney Company." If anything this proves that the laws have definitely not caught up with the technology. (This appears to be a common theme when new technology arrives.)

If anything this proves that the laws have definitely not caught up with the technology.

Second, right now AI cannot be used to perform narrative storytelling. Generative AI, at best, generates short clips that are interesting. It takes multiple attempts and clever prompting to get a result that is worth showing. Second, clever editing must be used to cover up defects in the rendering. There are some seriously weird uncanny valley moments going on.

Third, text is still a problem. No matter what, it takes lots and lots of renders to create title cards. The paint is not dry on this technology. You get everything from typos to just plain grammatical weirdness, to graphic anomalies.

Fourth, music is really coming along well. The music generated exceeded my expectations. The lyrics were pretty decent. (I am not a good songwriter.) The musical instrument tracks were perfect. The music really felt "Disney" to me. It felt like it belonged on the 1980s/1980s Disney Channel.

Conclusions

We are definitely in the middle of a paradigm shift. AI is definitely going to change the way people produce content. Very soon nearly every aspect of the creative process is going to be touched by this: writing, animation, graphics, sound, and music. This cannot be stopped.

• Writing -- mundane writing jobs like catalog descriptions will probably go away. Chat GPT is great for doing "canned writing" where you don't need any artistic flair. It may ultimately replace some tech writers as well. It isn't going to write the next Catcher in the Rye, Atlas Shrugged, or Harry Potter. However, given a good storyteller, it will help them write it that much faster.
• Music -- jingle writing, logo music, and mundane music will probably be AI generated. Nowadays people use stock music libraries and buyout tracks for videos. Soon, AI will do this for you. AI won't be the next John Williams, but it will give you 45 seconds of ambient music to a certain BPM that you can use an underscore for a video. AI will also be able to create compelling royalty free songs in known genres that sound similar to things you already know. However, AI isn't going to replace Taylor Swift or become the next Elvis Presley.
• Art -- yes, some art jobs will go away. But if you want that brilliant comic book cover that blows everyone away, you are still going to need a very good artist to do that.
• Animation/Visual FX -- AI is moving fast. It isn't ready yet to do cinema quality work. However, it can do very decent B roll, simple short scenes that you don't dwell on. The key to AI: only look at it for a short while.

AI is another tool in the toolbox. It will help those who are creative be creative quicker and work more efficiently. AI will ultimately put the power in the hands of those who have vision. If Walt Disney were alive today he would be all in on AI. (As would be Steve Jobs.)

The most important lesson AI teaches us -- what is valuable. Intellectual Property (IP) is the most valuable thing in the world. What is more important, the specific drawing of Mickey Mouse, or owning the rights to him? IP owners who know how to use AI strategically will do very well.

Intellectual Property (IP) is the most valuable thing in the world.

AI is offering a rare opportunity to creative types. The biggest need for AI right now is high quality copyright free training data and high quality models. Those who are able to form a company and license that will make money the rest of their lives. It will become the ultimate form of passive income.

One more thing -- AI is not going to replace the need for a visionary thinker or someone who comes up with an amazing idea. That person will use AI to help realize their idea, but it will still require a human being for that spark of inspiration.

Probably the best part of AI -- it will give tools to people who have amazing ideas but no means of showing them. Right now there is probably some unknown who has a "Star Wars" quality story ready to go. AI will help this person realize it, and entertain the world. Just like YouTube opened the door for would-be content creators, as will AI. We will see the dawn of the independent content creator who can target interesting and unusual niches that will entertain us in amazing ways. After all, who wouldn't want to see Abraham Lincoln Time Traveler Adventure Astronaut Cowboy?

Lastly, for all of the good AI offers, law needs to catch up. The very idea that I could take someone else's IP and make a video is both amazing and scary. Training data and what a model can generate needs to take copyright law into account.