Who Wrote that Cue, HAL?

Trying to make handling explosives safe for workmen, in 1867 Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, a stabilized form of nitroglycerin. While it was created as a tool for good—like construction, it was often used for evil purposes like robbery and terrorism. Dynamite, and later explosive inventions, would trouble Nobel enough that he became very interested in establishing worldwide peace. On his death, he used his estate to endow the esteemed annual award for many things, peace primary among them.

This quandary of good and bad came to my mind when following the conversations raging around Artificial Intelligence (AI). Will AI become this generation’s dynamite? We now have companies producing AI programs to do just about anything and everything. Then, a whole new crop of companies are developing products to detect content created by AI, mainly to prevent cheating and unmask deepfakes. Many in Hollywood are warning actors who are thinking of being scanned and whose imagery can be turned into digital avatars. Tom Hanks said his career could go on forever with the advent of AI. Is that what we really want? Nothing against Hanks, but is that acting, is that a human creating art?

There are some that are pushing the envelope with content creation and using AI as a tool for creativity. I think that using AI/machine learning for content creation can be a good use for it; when it’s another tool in the content creator’s toolbox, used judiciously. Unfortunately, it could easily become a plagiarism tool, as some have labeled AI. It can’t be used to just copy/rip-off another artist’s work or intellectual property. It is going to change music, literature, art and design, not to mention employment. I really do think that we need some rules and guidelines on how AI gets implemented and used in the live event industry. Certainly some thoughtful conversation. In the coming months we will be looking at AI and how it impacts the various segments and different roles within the live event industry. Like dynamite, it’s a potentially explosive development.

Michael S. Eddy, from Editor’s Note, PLSN, July 2023, page 2