AI is stealing writers’ words and jobs…

[Paul Farquhar]

It will improve capitalism.

Actually, it won't. It will break capitalism. Because AI will eventually put EVERYONE out of a job. And when no-one is employed, humans cannot accumulate wealth. It ceases to have any meaning.

Assuming the AI is not malevolent, it will eventually look after humans as pets.

I'm okay with that, it seems to work for cats. The future internet will come to be dominated by funny human videos.

 

[Ryujin]

So you would be quite happy for AI to replace human artists if they where not trained on human art, but generated it via some other means?

No, but find that other way and at least we have a discussion.

 

[Guest 85555]

It seems you have never heard the expression "struggling artist."

Certainly artists come from all walks of life but the AI issue does seem to be affecting the more well to do and educated than say automation of manufacturing

 

[Ryujin]

Certainly artists come from all walks of life but the AI issue does seem to be affecting the more well to do and educated than say automation of manufacturing

Really? Perhaps by straight dollars, but percentage of income? Someone is going to keep paying a famous artist for their work. The ones I'm seeing affected are the guys who do commission pieces, like the guy you pay a few bucks to make a pic of your RPG character. They folks who do work on indie games.

 

[Guest 85555]

Really? Perhaps by straight dollars, but percentage of income? Someone is going to keep paying a famous artist for their work. The ones I'm seeing affected are the guys who do commission pieces, like the guy you pay a few bucks to make a pic of your RPG character. They folks who do work on indie games.

Actually I don't know what the numbers are. I don't think it has ever been broken down. But it does seem like this issue affects many more white collar jobs than previous automation shifts. That doesn't make it good. I am not suggesting a path forward here. But at least from my vantage point, the majority of people I see complaining about this issue do not appear to be on the whole from the blue collar sector. It looks like this is largely impacting people with college degrees (often people with advanced college degrees). That doesn't mean they are all rich. It does mean this is an issue effecting the work of the educated classes who had a better likelihood of coming from a middle class, upper middle class or wealthy background. That also doesn't mean there aren't artists who grew up poor. Like I said, artists come from all walks of life. Also, AI doesn't just affect artists and creative writers. It is going to affect all kinds of white color office jobs. This is the point people are making about AI. Honestly if it just affected artists, I don't think the media and society would be all that concerned. This is going to be a much broader upheaval than artists and writers. AI could supplant a large portion of jobs for which historically you needed a BA, MA or even PhD to obtain.

Personally I worry when anyone's job is in jeopardy. So I think this is an issue we need to talk about. Livelihood means your ability to put food on the table. So I don't care if that means you are an artist, a writer, a plumber, a janitor, a waitress, a teacher or an autoworker.I don;t want to see anyone struggle to put a roof over their head. I just think for the purposes of this discussion it is important to concede the obvious which is AI is a form of automation that will hugely impact white collar jobs. Earlier forms of automation have tended to effect working class jobs

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

Actually I don't know what the numbers are. I don't think it has ever been broken down. But it does seem like this issue affects many more white collar jobs than previous automation shifts. That doesn't make it good. I am not suggesting a path forward here. But at least from my vantage point, the majority of people I see complaining about this issue do not appear to be on the whole from the blue collar sector. It looks like this is largely impacting people with college degrees (often people with advanced college degrees). That doesn't mean they are all rich. It does mean this is an issue effecting the work of the educated classes who had a better likelihood of coming from a middle class, upper middle class or wealthy background. That also doesn't mean there aren't artists who grew up poor. Like I said, artists come from all walks of life. Also, AI doesn't just affect artists and creative writers. It is going to affect all kinds of white color office jobs. This is the point people are making about AI. Honestly if it just affected artists, I don't think the media and society would be all that concerned. This is going to be a much broader upheaval than artists and writers. AI could supplant a large portion of jobs for which historically you needed a BA, MA or even PhD to obtain.

Personally I worry when anyone's job is in jeopardy. So I think this is an issue we need to talk about. Livelihood means your ability to put food on the table. So I don't care if that means you are an artist, a writer, a plumber, a janitor, a waitress, a teacher or an autoworker.I don;t want to see anyone struggle to put a roof over their head. I just think for the purposes of this discussion it is important to concede the obvious which is AI is a form of automation that will hugely impact white collar jobs. Earlier forms of automation have tended to effect working class jobs

I agree with this. I feel, from my experience, AI's effect on white collar jobs and the arts has caused more of an uproar than automation shifts because it affects people who feel they've 'moved up'. Look at Reservoir Dogs when Mister Pink doesn't tip, on a breakfast he wasn't even paying for. What does he say? "If the waitress doesn't make enough, I've got two words for her: learn to f'n type."

And I agree that everyone should be able to have shelter and food and a Chance to do better. I don't think some people realize that the more those three things are covered, there tends to be less need for other agencies to step in and provide support for people.

TLDR: You very seldom see it pointed out that the panic about AI is inspired by white collar people losing their jobs once AI can handle all your job's paperwork and replace accountants at taxes because it'll understand the loopholes better and quicker and cheaper. Etc

 

[Sacrosanct]

Congress never really addressed the dumb loopholes in it.

And all the fun of requesting Google remove links and have them then post them to Chilling Effects, making them easier to find.

I meant more from the perspective that government doesn't know really how to handle this new technology from a copyright perspective and most likely will come up with some new law that isn't exactly the best fit.

You don't hear about a lot of the artists out there, at all, because they haven't made a name for themselves. They are, however, in the majority and if published on the 'net, will have their work strip mined for AI.

100%

Certainly artists come from all walks of life but the AI issue does seem to be affecting the more well to do and educated than say automation of manufacturing

I am dubious of this. I've been hiring artists for more than 20 years. I hang out on art and commission forums on a daily basis. I'm friends with many. I'd say 99% of them are not "the more well to do", but are near the poverty level or lower middle class. It's like most things in entertainment, like acting. How many actors are in a movie (including background)? How many of them are wealthy? For every Whelan, there are thousands of Johns, or Erics, or Marias, or others you've probably never heard about. Even for many of those you have who have art in popular media, they aren't wealthy.

It's not the Whelans or Broms who are losing their living, because they have name recognition and people who want their art will still pay the premium to get it. It's the 99% who are losing their living because they are no longer getting those bulk jobs.

 

[Sacrosanct]

But Art has never been something people do because it's their only option for making a living.

For many, it is. It's their best skill. Maybe their only skill. For many, they might have mobility or anxiety issues that prevent other types of work. Either way, they deserve to make a living like anyone else.

 

[Guest 85555]

I am dubious of this. I've been hiring artists for more than 20 years. I hang out on art and commission forums on a daily basis. I'm friends with many. I'd say 99% of them are not "the more well to do", but are near the poverty level or lower middle class. It's like most things in entertainment, like acting. How many actors are in a movie (including background)? How many of them are wealthy? For every Whelan, there are thousands of Johns, or Erics, or Marias, or others you've probably never heard about. Even for many of those you have who have art in popular media, they aren't wealthy.

It's not the Whelans or Broms who are losing their living, because they have name recognition and people who want their art will still pay the premium to get it. It's the 99% who are losing their living because they are no longer getting those bulk jobs.

I have artists in my family who don't have money and who didn't grow up with money (some of them grew up quite poor). So I don't disagreee on this particular point. But AI is going to largely affect white collar, college educated jobs. The issue people are raising is I think a valid one. People don't really complain when a cashier loses work because of self checkout or when an autoworker loses work because their job is sent overseas or replaced by a machine. And now we are so concerned about AI it is becoming an actual taboo. That isn't happening because of compassion. That is happening because the people who are affected occupy more powerful positions in society. I am not minimizing the effect AI will have on other people like struggling artists. And I am not saying we should in any way be dismissive of peoples' concerns about work. I do think though this also needs to be a part of the conversation if anyone wants to understand why there are segments of society out there who don't seem particularly sympathetic to the problem

 

[Andvari]

This AI stuff keeps reminding me of this scene.