Let’s start this discussion by being perfectly clear: We aren’t an AI or tech expert! But, we are a pretty good student of history, people, human nature. Right now, we have a flurry of fantastic, mind-boggling, wishful thoughts/statements from “experts” on how AI is going to sweep through the video content industry, doing everything mere mortals can do but better, faster, cheaper.
Industry executives are saying everyone is doing it/using it; and if we don’t get ahead of the game, we will be….
Writers, actors, camera operators, crew, postproduction, and others hear the noise that is so overwhelming.
They know stuff slides downhill, and it’s aimed right at them. We have developed, refined, introduced, and used new technology, and sometimes it has been awkward and messy, but things got better. Quills replaced chisels, pens replaced quills, typewriters replaced pens, computers replaced typewriters—each time eliminating some jobs but also creating new/better/different jobs. Yes, AI will, and is, changing the industry and some jobs will disappear, while new ones emerge—just as they have since the first silent film recorded in 1888 by Louis Le Prince. Progress in any area sparks anxiety regarding the dangers of the unknown, but each time people have proven they are equal to the task. We have never had zero-sum results.
AI already powers many functions/activities in the industry in ways we often don’t realize or simply take for granted. But it isn’t anything that can be approached and used with blind faith. It needs people to use it with logic, caution, and skepticism. We know, that’s the tough part.
