Recently, we have been talking more and more about Artificial General Intelligence – from our college to our Facebook page. Artificial Intelligence, which was once seen as science fiction, has become a reality, and it can draw, write, program, compose, play music, sing, narrate stories, translate text and even summarize history. This makes many people – particularly creators – look to the future with apprehension. I too often ponder these thoughts and want to share them with you. So take a deep breath – this is going to be long…
I am no prophet or fortune-teller with a crystal ball or time machine; however, my imagination (a skill necessary in my profession as an animator) leads me on journeys into the future. It all starts with examining the present. Midjourney are not the only one that can create beautiful pieces of art in seconds – AI is already impacting many other areas of life and professions beyond creative ones. In recent times it has made headlines mainly due to midjourney successes; however, it is beginning to revolutionize so much more than that.
The Three Reasons Why We Obsess Over AI Creations
We are mainly exposed to Midjourney and the like for three primary reasons. Firstly, their products are visually appealing, making it difficult to look away when they appear in our feeds. If a software code or an accounting report generated by AI were to pop up in our feeds, we would likely show little interest. Secondly, their products don't have to meet stringent criteria such as code that will crash our software or inaccurate accounting reports that could get us into trouble with the IRS. Even if there were seven fingers on the hand of a character created in Midjourney, it's amusing rather than disastrous (and can be fixed). Lastly, we all marvel at computers' capacity for “creativity”, feeling a blend of excitement, eagerness, caution, fear, shock, bewilderment, and curiosity. This has given rise to a passionate discourse surrounding this topic which we've all been exposed to lately – leading us to debate how (or if) AI is able to produce art.
The Impact of AI Beyond Creative Fields
While advancements in AI are taking place in many other fields, it's not as immediately visible and doesn't generate the same degree of emotion or engagement. Replacing an accountant with a computer system is far from cool and isn't likely to generate a passionate discourse like the one related to art and creativity.
The advancement of AI systems is leading to a drastic transformation of many industries. Examples include AI surpassing human experts in X-ray deciphering, programming tasks taking mere seconds with AI while they would take hours by humans, and the impending ability to draft legal defenses with AI referring to all applicable claims, facts, testimony, laws and precedents. This could dramatically reduce the need for lawyers, leaving those in the industry facing an uncertain future.
Midjourney Impact on Job Opportunities
Recently, a noteworthy advertising campaign was released in new york on bus sides which replaced traditional photography models with midjourney technology. As a result, the livelihood of many individuals associated with the process was drastically impaired – from photographers and lighting artists to make-up artists, dressers, producers, and even caterers. Nonetheless, only graphic designers were able to reap any profit from the endeavor.
The Rapidly Approaching Artificial General Intelligence
AI is quickly infiltrating every profession from composition to driving, announcing to science, and translation to accounting, especially in lucrative fields of high-tech, medicine, and law. This does not mean that humans will have no role in the process, but machines can take over many of the tedious tasks. This will dramatically reduce the number of hours spent at work which will lead to mass layoffs and unemployment rates predicted to hit as high as 90%. In a relatively short span of time, AGI systems (Artificial General Intelligence) might be developed that surpass current AI systems trained for single tasks like visual creation and text writing. They could potentially enter labor markets and decision-making processes such as public administration, scientific research, and governance mechanisms. We may rely on them for consultation at first but afterward, they could take on greater control over our lives – a concept previously only seen in dystopian works of fiction but one that could soon become a reality.
The event horizon of these occurrences is predicted to come soon, according to most experts in the field. In as little as a decade or two, an AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) system could be created. Unlike current AI systems which are trained for specific tasks such as visual creation, writing texts, decoding X-rays, or coding, the AGI will be able to do anything just like humans. At this point, the AGI could enter not only the labor market but also decision-making processes in areas like public administration, scientific research, the police force, the army, and the government. This is something that was once thought of as science fiction but may soon become our reality.
AI systems are expected to become increasingly integrated into our lives in the near future. Initially, we may only consult with AI as it is able to provide us with accurate answers to many of life's questions. However, it is likely that AI will eventually be given more control over various aspects of our lives, from public administration and scientific research to the police force and the army. While this concept has been explored before in science fiction works, the reality of it happening in our lifetime is a thought that many have had for the first time in history.
A Technological Revolution Set to Transform the Job Market of the Future.
In the next 30 years, the world as we know it is likely to undergo a massive transformation on a technological, economic, social, cultural, political, military, business, artistic, scientific, and medical level. This AI and robot revolution will be much greater than the internet revolution or the mobile revolution or even the industrial revolution. Before the industrial revolution, people were nervous about machines taking over their jobs but those machines could merely do technical and receptive tasks. In contrast, AI and robots in the near future are expected to be able to think for us, create for us and make decisions on our behalf. Human ingenuity will truly be put to the test as we navigate this new landscape together.
Final thought
The AI revolution is in full swing, and it's now up to us to make sure this revolution has a positive impact on everyone involved. We should start preparing for this revolution by educating future generations about the capabilities of robots and AI, and by embracing them into our lives. It's important to remember that machines cannot replace human creativity or feeling as only humans can bring something truly unique to any endeavor. With adequate preparation, we can ensure that the AI revolution has a positive outcome for everyone involved.
