ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: CAN WE SAFELY HARNESS ITS POWER?
Jul 31, 2023
Artificial intelligence (AI) is still a trending topic, as it likely will be for years, and many people are understandably still worried it will replace their jobs. At Uncompany, we’re approaching AI like we would a lion at the zoo – fascinated by its power, curious to see it up close, and afraid of what could happen if it got out of its cage. We embrace the philosophy of smart growth (just because you can, doesn’t mean you should), but we’d be lying if we said we weren’t also excited about how AI can challenge the status quo.
What is AI?
McKinsey & Company defines artificial intelligence as “a machine’s ability to perform the cognitive functions we usually associate with human minds.” This includes anything from website chatbots to advanced machine learning to generative AI. When applied strategically, AI has the potential to make businesses more efficient and profitable. But as McKinsey points out, the value of artificial intelligence isn’t in the systems themselves. It’s dependent on how companies use those systems. To us, this is the exciting part. How can we use this growing technology? What companies will be created? How can this make our lives and jobs better?
How are freelancers and clients feeling about AI?
There are lots of articles out there about how various industries feel about embracing AI. But we decided to go right to the source and ask some of our freelancers and clients about their thoughts related to AI and how it could impact the creative and marketing industries.
Will AI replace our jobs?
How can companies and freelancers use AI to super power their businesses?
- Remove or improve boring, repetitive tasks through automation
- Brainstorm ideas and create initial concepts to save time in the early stages of a project
- Assist basic content creation, like rough draft of a presentation or email
- Create an opportunity to get ahead of the competition by being more efficient and increasing your offerings
Not all respondents see AI as a superpower, though, and others question the ethics of using it.
What are potential dangers of AI?
- Copyright violation and plagiarism
- Loss of control and privacy
- Degradation of worker mental health
- Potential to spread incorrect information
- Inability to think for yourself
At this moment how do you feel about the growth of AI?
What is the future of AI for creative businesses?
While working with AI takes some time to master, it can be a real time and cost saver. Adam Temple, one of our motion design and video production freelancers, has invested the time into learning how to use generative AI, such as Invoke AI, to work faster on the conceptual phase of his projects.
“We’re still a year and a half away from this type of AI being production ready, but it’s really useful for quickly creating 3-4 ideas to present to a client,” Temple says. “What used to take hours searching through stock image sites or playing around in Illustrator or Photoshop, I can now do in 5 minutes.”
He admits that the current technology is like legos – you have to build what you want – but he believes jobs in all industries, from film production in Hollywood to road engineering, will be impacted.
“In my field, bigger companies will expect more for less for initial design,” he says. “Students majoring in marketing will perhaps have to double major in graphic design. Freelancers and those employed full-time will have to be adept at using AI to stay relevant. It isn’t going anywhere, and it’s only going to get better.”
