2023: AI and The Digital Renaissance
This was originally published on my Substack on JAN 12, 2023.
2001.
Capcom released a game called MegaMan: Battle Network (Rockman.EXE in Japan), where in the future, people used personal information terminals to access data freely online while using avatars in virtual reality. 16 years later, the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise would create a series subtitled VRAINS, which stood for Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Network Systems. While both of these franchises are purely fictional, their predictions of the future have been fairly accurate. We use our smart phones to access the internet, play rounds of Fortnite with our personalized characters, buy and trade cryptocurrency on different network platforms, and enjoy more and more immersive games on virtual reality headsets.
1. AI Is Everywhere
Chances are by the time you’ve read this, you’ve seen AI generated profile pictures on your feed. Adobe’s Photoshop uses AI to process its filters, including changing facial expressions and recoloring black and white photos. The latest cameras are now using AI to find and track subjects with extreme accuracy. ChatGPT, an OpenAI program, can write so much from just a small prompt. The proliferation of AI tech feels like its at a tipping point where it is about to hit mainstream adoption.
2. The Renaissance
Digital art is undergoing a period of change right now. AI is helping artists write faster, generate art that would otherwise be very difficult to create, and those tools are getting better at an exponential rate. Combine that with the fact that we’re moving towards an opening world as we get more used to navigating a world with COVID-19 and you can see how history is getting ready to repeat itself. Artists are experimenting with new forms of expression - generative pieces made from a collection of elements, collectable artwork that serve as membership cards, ideas that are coming together very rapidly. We are entering a very exciting time and it will be interesting to see how this plays out over the following months.
3. AI and Photography
When it comes to how artificial intelligence and photography will work together, there are a few ways I can see it impacting the industry. Seeing AI working in the Sony Alpha 1, it uses recognition to detect bodies, faces, animals, and other subjects, tracking them fairly well. I can see the technology making its way to other cameras in the near future, enhancing the way everyone from professionals at the Olympics to enthusiasts can keep up with moving subjects. A tool that’s more accurate that can help achieve my end goal is going to valuable. On the editing side, as the tools evolve, more possibilities will be available. More complicated tasks, such as advanced object removal, will make it easier for retouchers. AI generators will be able to generate various versions of a photo. These enhancements will make the creation process easier and more creative because of a wider pool of options. Overall I can see the entire process from creation to publication being altered by AI.
4. Where Is This All Going
I believe based on the convergence of AI technology and VR, we’re going to end up seeing more hybrid spaces that combine the two technologies. This includes more virtual galleries, where people can visit online through their smartphones, or even exploring them using VR headsets. The VR tech can be used as a new display medium for displaying and interacting with images in a way that they couldn’t be in real life. Conversely, I could see more projections being used to create virtual spaces in real life. The way forward is wide open.
5. The Year Is 2023
I started this post with references to media that took guesses at what the future would look like, and based on what I’ve detailed, it seems similar to our current reality. While my predictions are based on what’s available for people to experiment with now, there is no predicting what this year will bring with AI tech but it will definitely be exciting to watch and participate in.