Creators and AI

AI technologies have advanced at an unprecedented rate over the past few years. The amount of progress made in a remarkably short period of time is making it hard for even experts to separate hype from reality. As with any big technology shift, the opportunities come at a price—and often many risks. According to a recent survey from McKinsey, these are still early days for managing generative AI-related risks, with less than half of respondents in the field saying their organizations are even mitigating the risk they consider most relevant: inaccuracy.



There are a plethora of terms pertaining to AI and varying definitions for each. For the sake of this newsletter, we’ll go back to the basics: Artificial Intelligence (AI) was first coined and defined by emeritus Stanford Professor John McCarthy in 1955 as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.” I like these simple definitions used by Stanford University’s Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute. 

“Intelligent machines” could mean many things. Personally, I subscribe to this point of view from Kay Firth-Butterfield, the Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the World Economic Forum.

“AI is not intelligence—it is prediction. With large language models, we’ve seen an increase in the machine’s ability to accurately predict and execute a desired outcome. But it would be a mistake to equate this to human intelligence. This is clear when examining machine learning systems that, for the most part, can still only do one task very well at a time. This is not common sense and is not equivalent to human levels of thinking that can facilitate multi-tasking with ease. Humans can take information from one source and use it in many different ways. In other words, our intelligence is transferable—the ‘intelligence’ of machines is not.”

By this definition, AI is an especially sophisticated tool—not a replacement for human intelligence. It therefore surprises me greatly to hear leaders talk about how AI will supplant human creativity. Of course, this technology, like others before it, will change many of our jobs—there’s no question about that. But can AI be used to replace the creativity and intelligence of humans? I don't think so.

Concerns about the use of AI are already beginning to remake our world. I’ve been following the news of the writers’ union (WGA West) and the actors’ union (SAG-AFTRA) joint strike in Hollywood for some time now. These creators are arguing for better pay and residuals that fairly compensate their work and in many cases provide them a living wage. Negotions have also focused on the use of AI in the film industry. The WGA is fighting for a future where film companies “can’t use AI to undermine writers’ working standards including compensation, residuals, separated rights and credits.” SAG-AFTRA seeks clear accreditation and payment when their work or likeness is used by generative AI. This is just the beginning of the major battles that many industries must grapple with if artificial intelligence begins to harm or undermine human creativity.

As a tech leader, passionate reader, and artist (and in full disclosure, as the parent of a screenwriter, and the CEO of a company with many affiliates who are members of SAG-AFTRA), I see these issues with some nuance. 

I’ve often described Fable as a tech company with the soul of an artist. 

I started Fable because I believe in the power of stories and storytelling to improve our mental well-being. Storytelling is an innately human art form—something I’d assume those in the film and TV business would understand and value. It is therefore shocking to me that Hollywood executives haven’t been more responsive to these union requests asserting the value of the   creative work that writers, actors, and artists put into the success of the industry. Admittedly, I know little about the business of Hollywood. But the film industry without writers and actors sounds absurd, like a tech company without engineers. Wouldn’t it be crazy if tech industry leaders decided they weren’t going to pay engineers to write or debug code once the product was launched? In my view, successful industries are those that create a win-win for creators and business builders.

Storytelling—whether through books, movies, television, or any other medium—is an art form, one that helps us stay in touch with what it means to be human beings. The beauty of technology is that it can be used to elevate and amplify these stories, to encourage more people to read and watch and listen, to match the right story for our mood, or connect fans with creators to discuss their favorite works. 

AI is an amazing tool to help us bring great storytelling to audiences, but it isn’t a replacement for storytellers themselves. Imagine a world where we only had AI “trained” replicas of great creations, and not original creations that open our minds to new wonders; a world where brilliant writers, actors, and artists have no place to pour their hearts into the works that uplift our hearts. I ask myself, is that the world we want to live in?

I understand that the writers union and Hollywood executives are resuming talks to try and find a mutually beneficial resolution. I am keeping my fingers crossed. 

There are so many important uses for AI, one of the greatest technological marvels of our time: to combat climate change, provide greater access to healthcare and education, and help us become more skilled and productive citizens. My hope is that leaders and technologists will find applications for AI that better help us as humans to use our own creativity and intelligence to solve the most pressing issues of our time.