Live or Memorex?
OK. If you’re not old enough to remember this ad, look it up. The premise is whether the sound can be distinguished from the real thing or the cassette tape. When I was younger, I don’t remember worrying about live music being replaced by cassette tapes, or thinking that technology would never be cool.
Is artificial intelligence hype? Is there another great thing that advances society and small businesses, or puts many companies out of business? A plague of the world as we know it? Most of what we read today is almost unbelievable, but will this really change? So many questions!
Change is happening very quickly. It can be a little head-turning to figure it out. However, I am open-minded and do not give in to fear-mongering without evidence. However, some observations have already taken hold in the domestic industry and are reason enough to start a discussion.
It is important to be aware of what constitutes a lie, what counts as a white lie, when a lie is permissible, and the circumstances under which a lie may be permissible. Furthermore, people vary in how much they can manipulate the truth before it is considered a lie. So the question for interior design professionals is whether the AI-created visuals of his image are lies. Is a blog post written by an AI, ostensibly on a topic you know well, lie?
This is often called a slide. With the 800 word limit, I’m not going to go down another giant slope of AI potential. Because it is beyond my mandate and there is an incredible amount of information to study in order to separate fact from fiction. — a task that could become even more difficult in the future.
But it’s something I’ve realized that applies to interior design, and to some extent retail as well.
good stuff
AI visual images are great for stock photography when you need to illustrate something other than your portfolio work, but don’t have or want to take pictures. Think of a common photo of a shopper or contractor looking at a drawing.
Verdict: These are not lies, they are representational pictures and are not misleading. Maybe it’s boring because team photos are more interesting, but that’s marketing talk.
Some designers seem to enjoy using AI images as inspiration. I don’t know the appeal, but I consider myself a creative designer. Relying on verbal prompts to create inspiration is different than walking outside with a view of Mother Nature.
Verdict: Sure, swoon yourself if you want to do this, but to me it’s creative laziness and before I admit I need artificial stimulants other than hot coffee, I take my pants off and give my clients I will hula dance in front of you.
To assist customer service, such as using AI written language for research, saving time on routine tasks, shaping blog posts with assistance, and creating advertisements for new hires It seems to me that using a chat bot for , as well as other methods, is the best and most effective. It saves time so you may be able to start later.
Verdict: I’m not lying, but it’s very easy to tell AI written words, so watch out for nuances. I am just beginning this journey of discovery. I look at it and think at best it’s lazy, at worst it’s unreliable. Trust is elusive these days, and the future of retailers and designers depends on building trust. Proceed with caution.
bad person
Designers are using AI images in place of their work in their portfolios and social media without the accompanying disclaimers. Stock photography has also been around for years. is this any different?
Verdict: Using AI imagery or stock photography to mislead and misinform about your body of work as a designer is lying. This is a no-brainer for me. This shift is occurring with alarming frequency, and this whole AI business is in its very early stages. Many people are also unaware of the strange blips in the photos that characterize amateur AI attempts.
Use AI to create fully formalized blog posts, customer facing documents, legal documents, and other types of documents.
Verdict: Dangerous to me. Great as an aid. Using it as a proxy for real-life backed professional status is a gross hoax and you will be exposed. Misleading consumers hurts not only you, but the industry as a whole.
Ugly
Where do you go from here? Throughout history we have survived and adapted to major cultural shifts. would this be any different?
AI developers are speaking out. A Google heavyweight quitting so he could have his say, which isn’t very pretty. Another researcher claims he has a 50% chance that AI technology will be doomed. something heavy.
Verdict: Jurors leave. But I’m not allowed to show The Terminator in my house. Hey, did I mention I’m imaginative!
One thing is certain about AI. Everyone has an opinion, and depending on their worldview, will accept or reject new technologies that could open the door to new and amazing capabilities for humanity, or perhaps the Twilight Zone.
I am heavily invested in popcorn and am sitting down to embark on it.
Cheryl Kees Clendenon is the owner of In Detail Interiors in Pensacola, Florida, a small business coach, and author of HAT’s monthly Retailer vs. Retailer column.. cheryl@indetailinteriors.com
