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Generative AI has made it a lot easier to make things up using software like Photoshop. This, of course, isn't a new thing. But it has gotten significantly easier for people like me who aren't experts in photo editing.
Here are two examples that I created this morning. The first is a photo of me from last summer in the Salt Flats of Utah:
And here I am again after adding new clothes, a dog friend, a couple taking photos, a more impressive backdrop, and some sort of body of water in front of me:
The second is a photo from Paris:
Now here it is again with tall buildings in the background, glass storefronts, a few neon signs, string lights above the middle of the street, a bollard blocking car access, and a few more people:
These aren't entirely perfect if you're really paying attention. But for the most part, I think they're pretty convincing -- especially the second one.
Generated images are only going to get better going forward and I don't think that's a bad thing. But we do have to start training ourselves to question whether something is real or doctored. It's already hard to tell.
Generative AI has made it a lot easier to make things up using software like Photoshop. This, of course, isn't a new thing. But it has gotten significantly easier for people like me who aren't experts in photo editing.
Here are two examples that I created this morning. The first is a photo of me from last summer in the Salt Flats of Utah:
And here I am again after adding new clothes, a dog friend, a couple taking photos, a more impressive backdrop, and some sort of body of water in front of me:
The second is a photo from Paris:
Now here it is again with tall buildings in the background, glass storefronts, a few neon signs, string lights above the middle of the street, a bollard blocking car access, and a few more people:
These aren't entirely perfect if you're really paying attention. But for the most part, I think they're pretty convincing -- especially the second one.
Generated images are only going to get better going forward and I don't think that's a bad thing. But we do have to start training ourselves to question whether something is real or doctored. It's already hard to tell.
Like everyone else, I have started playing around with Midjourney to create AI-generated images. Here are two that I created last night using the prompt: "A silver Land Rover Defender driving through a snowstorm in the mountains of Utah."
Now, you can tell that these are AI-produced images, but it's still wildly impressive that something like this can be easily generated in a matter of a few seconds. And that's the thing about AI: it's easier to get, especially compared to crypto. It's immediately useful and it's immediately clear what this can and will disrupt.
Levis, for example, just announced that it will start using AI-generated photography in lieu of actual fashion photoshoots. This is obviously suboptimal for photographers, models, makeup artists, and so on, but a hell of a lot easier for Levis. I would also imagine that the same thing will happen to real estate renderings and many other things beyond just imagery.
Ben Myers and Steven Cameron recently speculated on their podcast -- Toronto Under Construction -- that AI could be used for reviewing development applications. Imagine how much this would speed up reviews and the delivery of new housing! So there are very good reasons for why the hype cycle has moved over to AI from crypto and NFTs.
https://twitter.com/punk6529/status/1639411208192139266?s=20
However, I'd like to go on the record saying that my gut tells me that this will only make what crypto offers even more important. Permissionless public databases (as opposed to databases controlled by individuals/companies) and the ability to demonstrate authenticity/ownership, feel like two important things to me in a world where computers are constantly generating a flood of new content and nobody knows what is "real" anymore.
It's certainly a lot less tangible than, "hey, check out this badass Defender driving through the snow." But I feel strongly that these two innovations will end up working together.
Like everyone else, I have started playing around with Midjourney to create AI-generated images. Here are two that I created last night using the prompt: "A silver Land Rover Defender driving through a snowstorm in the mountains of Utah."
Now, you can tell that these are AI-produced images, but it's still wildly impressive that something like this can be easily generated in a matter of a few seconds. And that's the thing about AI: it's easier to get, especially compared to crypto. It's immediately useful and it's immediately clear what this can and will disrupt.
Levis, for example, just announced that it will start using AI-generated photography in lieu of actual fashion photoshoots. This is obviously suboptimal for photographers, models, makeup artists, and so on, but a hell of a lot easier for Levis. I would also imagine that the same thing will happen to real estate renderings and many other things beyond just imagery.
Ben Myers and Steven Cameron recently speculated on their podcast -- Toronto Under Construction -- that AI could be used for reviewing development applications. Imagine how much this would speed up reviews and the delivery of new housing! So there are very good reasons for why the hype cycle has moved over to AI from crypto and NFTs.
https://twitter.com/punk6529/status/1639411208192139266?s=20
However, I'd like to go on the record saying that my gut tells me that this will only make what crypto offers even more important. Permissionless public databases (as opposed to databases controlled by individuals/companies) and the ability to demonstrate authenticity/ownership, feel like two important things to me in a world where computers are constantly generating a flood of new content and nobody knows what is "real" anymore.
It's certainly a lot less tangible than, "hey, check out this badass Defender driving through the snow." But I feel strongly that these two innovations will end up working together.
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