Friends, it’s time to make your mark. Whether you’re a
writer or illustrator, the next four years are crucial to our collective
success. We all know that artificial intelligence can write essays, and draw
cute pictures. We also know it is continuously feeding from the artists of
today, and yesterday. Simply put, it’s growing like a fungus—sort of
ballooning. It solves problems, makes deductions, and has even shown reasoning
capabilities. But yesterday, from the television in the other room, I overheard
famous scientific researcher Sir Demis Hassabis explain something that made
goosebumps run up and down my spine. After a bit of checking, I realized the
source is excellent. He gave me hope. Not just for myself, but for all my
creative friends. The ones who draw, or write songs, and tender poets hiding
behind figurative, but enormous brick walls.
Besides being an AI researcher and CEO of DeepMind, Hassabis
was also awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry. This brilliant man said
something hopeful, that made me run to pen and paper. Something all my artistic
friends need to know. Basically, here’s the kicker. He told the interviewer
that artificial intelligence won’t have intuition and imagination
for five years, or so. Though I believe what he said, I think it will be less
than five years. Either way, if you, my imaginative friends have something you
want to express, something you believe in, something the world needs to hear,
this is your time. Don’t wait five years. (Of course, I’m good at giving advice--find
me in five years.) In five years, everything will change.
Meanwhile, Microsoft came up with a list of forty jobs that
artificial intelligence can’t take away from humans. The list is called --Bottom
40 Occupations with lowest AI applicability score. Roofers, painters, and
embalmers seem to be safe, along with Massage Therapists, Ship Engineers and Ophthalmic
Medical Technicians Even dentists, and dishwashers. But we all know there’s
another list. The painful list which is called the Top 40 occupations with highest
AI applicability scores. Of course, writers, reporters, editors, proofreaders,
and historians were high on the list. My old occupation of Advertising is
mentioned too. Intuition tells me that
the window is narrow, and we must create something lasting, now. Yes, like
today!
Think escape room with a timer. The clock is ticking and
your heart has ideas. There are fables only you can imagine. There are medical
research papers only you can explain. And, once you have invented, patented, published,
or copyrighted your creation, and are somewhat depleted, but thrilled you took
the leap; only then, begin a plan for an entirely new future. One that’s safe,
perhaps on a cruise vessel…as the ship’s engineer.
