In 1982, up-and-coming Hollywood director Ridley Scott asked us an existential question that blurred the lines between science fiction and reality: “what does it mean to be human?” For most people, Blade Runner was their first experience with the Turing test and an eye-opening foray into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s a story filled with symbolism about what it means to play God—and what might happen if we as a species ever try to invent something “more human than human.”
Now, despite other cautionary tales featuring the likes of Skynet and Hal 9000, we’ve somehow found our way into the era of AI dominance. Anyone can open a Jasper account and use AI to write the next great business plan. You or I could imitate the artistic musings of Andy Warhol using Dall-E 2. Anyone with a laptop can learn to deepfake someone’s likeness or clone their voice. You can even write a song.
Today, AI is everywhere—and it’s capable of all those unfathomable feats 1980s sci-fi directors wowed us with. In the era of AI dominance, the question becomes one of mobilizing AI for good or living in fear of its potential.
If only you could see what we’ve seen with your eyes
At JXM, we believe AI creative tools shouldn’t be feared, rather, used responsibly. We see AI as another tool in the toolbox for creating effective, gripping, and powerful stories and messages for the brands we work with. Put a different way, in matters of the Force, we’re on the side of the Jedi, not the Sith.
AI makes it possible to breathe life into any Mad Lib idea and produce infinite results that encompass the limitless nature of subjectivity. The way you see “astronaut riding a horse in space” in your mind’s eye isn’t going to be exactly the same as someone else’s internal depiction. It’s a variation on the existentially mind-boggling concept of subjective sameness. We might both call a color by the same name… but how do we know we’re seeing the same thing?
Creative AI minds the gap created by subjectivity, to help artists and creators narrow the scope of their designs, to better-align with preferential nuances. We can plug “astronaut riding a horse in space” into Dall-E and churn out a dozen unique examples that account for key subjective variables. If you like #3, 5, 9, 12, JXM can learn more about how they stand out from the eight others that don’t pique your interest. It paves inroads into subjective understanding.
AI is like any other machine: a benefit or a hazard
For many, the prospect of accessible, practical AI creative is an exciting one… but not for the reason it should be. Seeing AI tools as an excuse to automate creativity runs parallel to more than a few Blade Runner allegories. AI can’t replace an artist’s creative spirit—and even if it could, it shouldn’t. After all, isn’t artistic expression part of what makes us human?
At JXM, we see Dall-E, Jukebox, Jasper, and the countless other AI platforms springing up as tools in our toolbox. They’re an extension of our creative spirit and our zest for expression. We’re not going to relinquish our creative brains to algorithmic generation; rather, we’ll relish the opportunity to create something powerful using AI as a springboard. This goes for image, text, music, video, and any expressive medium.
The difference between seeing AI as a tool vs. a temptation comes down to intent. This is also the same catalyst that separates those who marvel at AI’s creative opportunities vs. those who want to harness its destructive potential. At JXM, we see it as a chance to improve communication and refine our creative approach, rather than avail ourselves of effort.
There’s no putting pandora back in her box
At the end of the day, AI is what it is: software. What we make of it depends on who’s using it. Some people are going to spend their days making deepfakes of celebrities and political pundits. Others, like JXM, are going to use AI creative tools like any other tool: to improve communication and produce more effective results.
If you’re struggling to capture the essence of your creative idea or swimming in a sea of subjectivity, consider turning to AI. Reach out to JXM to navigate the AI future and we’ll give you an introduction to creative AI that has both feet firmly planted in reality.
