The connected world is preparing for a new leap in technology with the generative modality of artificial intelligence: the one capable of generating text, images, videos or music. Analysts agree that we are at a turning point, the massive adoption of artificial intelligence is imminent. We will use it as a habit and it will change the way we create. Microsoft’s billion-dollar investment in OpenAI — the company that launched ChatGPT — should confirm that bet. The ability to automatically generate content will be present in all of its products, from word processors to email. To cite a number, the Microsoft Teams application alone has more than 240 million users. There are many millions of people who improve the model every day by using it. The growth will be exponential because it will also force the rest of the market to move and offer new solutions based on the same concept. A great wave of innovation will accompany this new version. Just like the internet did in its day, and especially Google and its search engine, the generative decade promises to take us to places we can’t even imagine, or did we think it could make music out of words?
Generative AI differs from traditional AI in that it focuses on creation rather than pattern recognition or producing a result. Models can generate new content from scratch. They can encompass anything from product designs to artworks to music and have the potential to revolutionize the way services are developed. It’s not unreasonable to think that a few years from now, on-demand television content will be created at this time and just for us. It is a tsunami for industry and also for society. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, claims that it controls speed to market because of the social impact it has. We’re not prepared for everything that’s to come, and it’s clear that there are opinions for all tastes about this new tool. We’re just beginning to see the contours of its impact on the world, but we already know that it’s better than we thought it was and that it’s reached the place long thought to be untouchable: creativity.
It’s the first time we’re seeing a true cross-sectional application. Automakers can use it to create new vehicle designs faster. Pharmaceuticals to generate new pharmacological compounds while the media create high quality video content. Buzzfeed, an American communications company with viral content, has announced that it will use it to personalize its content, sending its shares on the stock market soaring. The market knows there’s business going on here, and lots of it. So we will hear about it endlessly. In 2022, investors pumped nearly $3 billion into generative AI companies through more than 100 deals, almost as much as they have invested combined in the previous five years.
After the crypto failure, investors and media are crazy about these new machine learning models, which in turn is fueling a new wave of startups looking to harness this technology. At European level, the UK is the best performing country by number of companies and I don’t think it’s good news that the Anglo-Saxon axis dominates this market as well. It would be very important for cognitive plurality if the Global South were more represented in such relevant and influential technological developments.
A new legal framework
Generative artificial intelligence will revolutionize the way businesses operate, with the resulting opportunity to cut costs — hopefully not salaries. It’s a perfect opportunity to talk about technology that augments rather than replaces humans and improves employee productivity; In fact, it might finally get us out of the impasse we seem to be stuck in. The ability to generate code alone is known to increase the speed and quality of programmers by completing almost half of their work automatically. Obviously, this is a technology in its infancy, with many loose ends still to be resolved. There are legal, ethical, reputational risks, incorrect content, limitations in use and copyright regulations that may need updating as it will be difficult to close doors in this area. Getty Images, one of the largest photo agencies, has sued another of these major companies for illegally using its images. In contrast, Shuttershock has decided to integrate this form of artificial intelligence and make it available to its customers.
The battles have begun. The legal relationships between companies and content creators; the moral debates about whether or not it can be used in the classroom; whether it is better to ban or teach to use it; whether it is a positive or negative tool. There is no time to lose because the rage of the market dictates the times and pushes development too fast without considering the consequences that the massive deployment of this type of technology can bring. The environmental impact needs to be addressed urgently, especially if generative artificial intelligence is to be used hundreds of times a day by billions of people.
If this continues, inaction on governance will have political consequences. Many will look to the rulers for answers and will not find them. Will the regulation be future-proof? We haven’t come close to agreeing on the limits of artificial intelligence and already a new generation of this technology is permeating our society without any kind of control. Looks like we’re going to be late again.
Lucy Velasco is an economist and author of “Is an algorithm going to replace you?”.
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