The Rise of AI and Beyond
I am not opposed to new technology nor a naysayer. After all, CRASH+SUES bought the first AVID sold in the United States back in 1989. I remember the Avid Salesman being in town and hanging out as we worked out the contract. Smart move.
We then bought Quantel’s DPMax in 1991. We were way out front again, but it did not work out so well. We owned a very expensive paintbox.
Next, in 1993 we came home from NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) with the Editbox sign. Quantel’s new non-linear editing system designed for online/finishing. We were quite proud until we realized it was not quite ready and sent it back.
We soon bought the Discreet Logic’s Fire and Flame and were very happy campers in both our main finishing and effects suites.
CRASH+SUES was an early adopter of HD. But we made a crucial mistake, we never really told our client we were the experts. Our thought was it was not rocket science - basically the aspect ratio is 16x9 with 8 times the pixels (which definitely gave us more to work with on the efx end). Our competitors claimed it was magic (and difficult) and made themselves the experts. We had some messaging to catch up on…
I write all this to say CRASH+SUES has loved all the amazing technology advancement. We have learned to evolve, learn and adapt to serve our clients. AI has proved no different. We have adapted when it proves advantageous and cost effective from research to visual effects. Yet, we have pushed clients not to use it especially when it comes to brand as it is not consistent yet, has a murky middle, sometimes the uncanny valley, etc.
The world is in a race for AI - and all are painting a very rosy picture of all the great things it will do such as automation enhancement, healthcare advances, scientific breakthroughs and the like.
I am not opposed to AI. I just have some questions. And, when I ask them, I feel I get platitudes.
A simple example is we are all to prepare for AI taking our jobs. We will get better ones. Yet, no one tells us which jobs those will be other than the plumber and the electrician. (I still don’t understand why those would be safe with human-like robots.) Some have told me we get to explore Mars. I don’t know why robots can’t do that for us. I’d rather stay home where there is oxygen.
Seriously though, I would like to have some deep discussions on where AI is taking us.
Let’s talk about IP. Who owns all this data? Who owns the new images created from AI?
How about energy and water. What happens when data centers use up all the energy and water in a community?
I get that using robots in a clean room is good but are robots herding cattle in Wyoming really the best thing for the cattle? Were dog robots the best for keeping the Chinese people in their apartments during Covid? Is Albania’s AI Cabinet Minister “Diella” optimal? What about bias in AI algorithms?
I feel like we are hurling forward without asking— and discussing— hugely important questions. Ethical questions. If we don’t, I think the rosy picture being painted may not be the end result. Or as Søren Kierkegaard said, "The most painful state of being is remembering the future, particularly the one you'll never have."
~ Heidi Habben | Owner
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