May 23, 2023 | Total Issue 3244
Following the boom in discussion on ChatGPT in March, AI technology has recently become a moth.
In early May, Hollywood screenwriters went on strike en masse, loudly calling for higher screenwriting income.
More than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and their supporters took to the streets to exchange pen sticks for baseball bats. The WGA threw out a number of demands, and even pointed at AI: prohibit studios from using AI to write literary materials; It is forbidden to use it as original material; It is forbidden to train AI using materials created by writers.
In mid-May, the U.S. Senate held a hearing to discuss whether AI will generate dangerous content, threaten U.S. national security, infringe on citizens' privacy, whether AI will affect employment, and whether regulation of AI will affect the U.S. position in international competition.
This fire has not yet reached the country. However, for practitioners in the film and television industry, AI technology is a topic that needs constant attention and is always new.
Why are Americans afraid of AI?
The discussion of ChatGPT, AI, and bots seems to be a bit "unique on this side of the landscape". Based on my observations of the people around me and the Internet community, Chinese attitude towards AI is generally optimistic.
Indeed, some people have become the first targets after the rise of AI. For example, illustrators, original artists, etc. But more people see ChatGPT and Midjourney V5 as trendy toys.
Two months ago, NetEase and Tencent released AIGC (Generative Artificial Intelligence) application guides, publishing all tutorials on how to use AIGC to produce content. Concept art designers can fully use AI tools, saving many complicated upfront steps. The view of most people in the industry is that many positions will not be replaced by AI for the time being, but those who will not use AI tools will be replaced by those who are skilled in using AI tools to improve efficiency. Soon, in some industries, AI tools will become basic skill plates, just like Word and Excel today.
But the attitude of the Americans is more cautious. Or rather, fear prevails.
First, there is the fear of unemployment.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman asserted in February that AI would replace clerical white-collar jobs. In April, he mentioned in an interview that AI will play an important role in reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Coincidentally. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said in an interview that about 7800 jobs at IBM will be replaced by AI and automation tools within 5 years. He announced that IBM would suspend hiring for positions that were not directly connected to customers.
Not very "smart" artificial intelligence
A World Economic Forum survey released late last month predicts that jobs in data analytics, machine learning and cybersecurity are expected to grow by an average of 30% by 2027. On the other hand, the application of artificial intelligence technology will put some occupations at risk of being eliminated, which is expected to eliminate 26 million administrative and other jobs by 2027. The career prospects for data entry and administrative secretaries are particularly worrying.
Some workers in the film and television industry are also facing unemployment. Strike Hollywood screenwriters believe that while AI technology still can't replace the work of professional screenwriters at this stage, the studio's purpose is not pure. They will first use AI to complete 80% of the script content, and then hire "temp" screenwriters to refine and polish the work. It's an act of "using technological fantasies to devalue us and reduce our salaries."
Hollywood screenwriters on strike
Secondly, the abuse of AI technology will also produce too much social media disinformation.
Yesterday, the topic #AI fraud success rate was close to 100%# on Weibo's hot search. The latest AI scams such as voice synthesis and AI face changing are hard to prevent. Some people have obviously verified the identity of their friends through WeChat videos, but they did not expect to encounter AI face changes. "Familiar" faces, "real" voices, it is difficult not to be deceived.
In late March, a group of photos of former U.S. President Donald Trump were arrested and circulated Chinese the Internet. Needless to say, this is generated by AI. Later, there were AI photos of Trump's gun-toting street battles leaked. Trump is famous, and most netizens won't take these photos seriously, but what if the story has a different protagonist?
At the House AI hearing, some people questioned: Since virtual recordings can be synthesized by AI, what if the information provided by AI is contrary to my position? Does the audience also think that this is my position?
Some say AI will also make humans lose the ability to think. When AI can tell us any information we want, self-seeking disappears. When AI can tell us the latest news, newspapers or journalism disappear. When AI can tell us what to buy, the advertising industry disappears.
Historian Yuval Harari's concerns are the most unique. In his view, the rapid development of AI can destroy human civilization without developing consciousness, and a soft perspective - the ability to tell good stories.
He said that AI has cracked the operating system of human civilization.
"Our political views are shaped by journalists' reports and anecdotes from friends. Movies and fairy tales change our sexual preferences. Even the way we walk and breathe is influenced by cultural traditions... What gives value to any currency is just the stories bankers, finance ministers, and cryptocurrency experts tell us about money. ”
And with the development of AI, this kind of story can be told easily.
Not very "smart" Imgit (painting software)
What's even scarier is that humans can be persuaded, while AI cannot. The process by which you try to persuade the AI is constantly tweaking it. Robots will get to know us better, the more they understand how to adjust their information, and even influence our views in turn, persuading humans to change their political and economic views.
As an aside, Americans' concerns about AI are also reflected in the self-production and self-sale of search engine companies. Simply put, Google and Bing, which used to only provide search functions, have become content producers at the same time with the evolution of AIGC.
It's a bit like today's video sites, production and broadcasting are integrated.
Liu Cixin has said that AI technology will allow humans to voluntarily enter a kind of technological "comfort zone". With the development of artificial intelligence, most of the work can be done by robots, in which case humans will increasingly surrender their rights to the functioning of society. Humans were easily "wiped out" by AI.
What can AI bring to the film and television industry?
However, there is no need to be overly anxious. In fact, for practitioners in the film and television industry, AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney V5 still have more benefits than disadvantages. People inside and outside the industry, including Zheng Yong, CTO of Youku, Bai Yiqing, founder of Linghe Culture, and Song Yangyang, deputy dean of the Creative Industry Technology Research Institute of Chinese Minmin University, have emphasized that artificial intelligence technology will provide a lot of help for the future development of the film and television industry.
The first is the improvement of visual design efficiency by AI. After ChatGPT entered the 4.0 era, AIGC has the ability to surpass low-level programmers and original illustrators. Zheng Yong said in an interview in the past, "Before to make a role, a type, and a scene, you need to draw a sketch first, set the general direction, and then determine it after the final drawing." The whole link process is very long, and there are many people involved. Now there are artificial intelligence solutions, and the combination of the two can be completed in as fast as half a day, and it does not require so many people. ”
Baidu Wenxin style
Bai Yiqian also said that for film and television works with a large amount of special effects, AI mapping can greatly shorten the art cycle and save designers rework and communication costs. For example, the preliminary preparation of "The Three-Body Problem" requires eight or nine thousand conceptual design drawings, which used to take several months for such a large amount of work, and it may be completed in an afternoon after AI drawing.
Of course, compared with live-action series and movies, AIGC's contribution to animation production is more obvious. In February this year, Netflix released its first AIGC animated short film "Dogs and Boys". THIS WAS CO-CREATED BY NETFLIX WITH MICROSOFT Xiaoice AND WIT STUDIO, AND AIGC WAS MAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAWING SOME OF THE ANIMATION SCENES. Compared to the scenes drawn by the artists, "The Dog and the Boy" is undoubtedly immature. But it's a far improvement over Nothing, Forever, an entirely AI-generated sitcom that launched on Twitch last December.
Top: "The Dog and the Boy" Bottom: "Nothing, Forever"
As mentioned above, AI face changing has become a new method of fraud. Then, AIGC may also be able to help some film and television works that cannot be broadcast due to bad artists. If AIGC technology is further developed, is it possible for Guo Jingming to shoot "Jue Ji" again, and he can directly replace real actors with virtual people?
In addition to pre-planning and post-production, AIGC currently plays a greater role in publicity. In March this year, the light media movie "Go to Your Island" was officially announced, and the poster released at the same time was made by AI.
Instead of worrying that your job will be replaced by AI, learn how to master AI tools. At the moment, it seems that AI behaves more like an intern. You have to go back and forth with it to get the results you want. It also does not have the ability to produce content on its own, and must enter a certain number of keywords and repeatedly debug to produce effective information. The author experimented with Baidu's Wen Xin Yi style, and the performance was not very satisfactory. Midjourney V5 performs better, but it's cumbersome and has all English input.
Not very "smart" Wen Xin Yi style
The collective strike of Hollywood screenwriters is essentially not a fear of AI, but an anger against the capitalists. Why do Hollywood studios dare to presumptuously squeeze screenwriters? Because the classic narrative goes backwards. Hollywood blockbusters have been sinking into childhood and infantilization for a long time. Looking at the films that can achieve high box office in North America and around the world today, "Fast and Furious 10" and "Spider-Man 3" can indeed be written with AI tools.
Can AI really replace screenwriters? Otherwise. In fact, the writer can never be replaced. Even if ChatGPT's knowledge base stores all the content written by Shakespeare, Tang Xianzu, and Dante, it can't write a "dose of addiction", "parasite" or "madness". Narrowly speaking, the greatest charm of literature or film and television works is not to tell a wonderful story, but to reach the depths of people's hearts.
Kevin Kelly, author of Out of Control, said that after the advent of ChatGPT, humans must master two skills: how to ask good questions and how to learn. "We lived in a time when getting answers was expensive and difficult. Most of us gain knowledge in school, as well as critical thinking and wisdom that help us arrive at the right answers. Artificial intelligence has appeared, and answers have become cheap or even free. Then asking the right questions, good questions, is more important than answers. ”
In the age of the Internet, tools are in front of everyone. In Excel, too, some people can only make tables, and some people use it to make games. ChatGPT is simpler, but it requires you to master the ability to ask questions effectively to cut into the sensitive area of artificial intelligence. Of course, for Chinese, there is another ability to master, that is, how to accurately use English to ask questions.
Next, let's make some guesses. What else can AIGC bring to the film and television industry?
I think the biggest possibility is to shake the status of short videos.
The biggest problem with long videos at the moment is that they can't provide more excitement. Several of this year's hit dramas have essentially achieved emotional victories. Audiences, especially Chinese audiences, are no longer willing to go into theaters to watch so-called special effects blockbusters. The box office of "Fast and Furious 10" and "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" says it all. They are more willing to pay for something that impresses them. With the continuous advancement of AI, can virtual glasses, helmets, and brain-computer devices also continue to develop? Remember the popular interactive dramas of previous years?
"Fast and Furious 10"
The emergence of long videos has deprived human beings of the reading habit formed for thousands of years. If reading books is just to listen to stories, then dramas and movies are undoubtedly more vivid. The emergence of short videos has made long videos lose their advantages. The former is too fast-paced. But AI technology can make humans willingly slow down. It does not create anxiety and does not create collective interaction. Everyone can immerse themselves in their own "peach blossom source".
Two days ago, I saw a video at station B. Just put on Facebook's (now Meta) VR device, Meta Quest 2, and you can play Maestro: The Masterclass, a music game. In the game, the player plays as a conductor, which is very cool. I'm ready to place my order.
【Text/Ma II】