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Ahead of World Summit AI (11th-12th October 2023, Taets Art & Event Park, Amsterdam), we asked Cecilia Lascialfari, Italian Representative for Artivive, Expert Generalist, Creative Strategist Technologist, Founder of ARea6DoF , her thoughts on the future of AI.
As an expert in the field, what critical challenges do you believe the AI community needs to address to ensure responsible & and ethical AI deployment?
AI has come to the mainstream very fast. It is very easy to use tools that use AI. Social networks themselves have implemented AI. There are still many people who don't realize the privacy implications. I believe that the most difficult thing to do is to make the mainstream understand what Artificial Intelligence means.
How has AI impacted your specific field of expertise, and what transformative changes do you foresee in the near future?
I am an artist and I work with images. The generation of images with AI software has put the art world and the role of the artist in crisis. Using artificial intelligence, many people have declared themselves artists in a "superficial" way without really being aware of what their internal artistic research path was. I believe that the desire to declare oneself an "artist" is linked to the thought that great artists have sold paintings at very high prices (often, after their deaths). And the ease with which it is possible to create extraordinary images with artificial intelligence has given rise to new creatives, often dazzled by the desire to succeed and make money. But it is also true that in other cases it gave the opportunity to people who belonged to a world other than that of art to express their creativity in a way they would never have thought of.
I predict that the implementation of AI in the artistic field may provide a new tool that artists will use in ways we can't even imagine.
How do you envision AI shaping various industries, and what advice would you give to businesses seeking to integrate AI into their operations?
AI must be integrated into companies. New technologies only become useful when you know and understand them. When you know them, it is also the moment when we are able to protect ourselves from the dangers of technology (such as the loss of our privacy or our biometric data).
In your opinion, what opportunities and challenges does AI present for job markets and workforce development worldwide?
AI does not replace humans. AI needs human supervision (at least right now).
We do not know the future development of this technology nor the fields in which it will be most applicable. Human evolution on a technological level is only possible when technology is understood and integrated into daily actions. So if we can manage it and use it constructively, it can be a great opportunity. Otherwise, if we use it incorrectly it could become a big problem for our society.
Can you share an example of an AI application or project that has personally impressed you, and explain why it stands out?
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I followed the evolution of all the AI generation software in the last year and I believe that one of the best software is Midjourney, because it leaves you a greater possibility of processing the images. I must add that there is a lot of difference between the various versions of this software. In the past versions we find a definition of the lower images and more anatomical errors, while in the latest versions we find a greater quality of the image, but a higher restriction on words or associations of words, which can be used within prompts. From a creative point of view equated to the ease of use, I believe that Midjourney is one of the most satisfying software of generative AI images available on the market (at the moment).
What measures do you believe should be taken to bridge the AI research gap between developed and developing nations to ensure equitable technological progress?
I was in San Francisco in November 2021, in June 2022 and also in June 2023. I must say that the speed with which I used the network with 5G in California is not the same as Italy (which is the country where I currently live). I don't think there is an interest in filling the technological AI research gap in the different countries. There is a great race towards the "technological discovery that will revolutionize the world" and it seems that interest is only to run forward as quickly as possible without watching what happens to others. At one time, the peoples who knew how to hunt were considered the most competent. Today peoples who have more advanced technology are considered the most competent. Globalization must serve to bring the same rights to people, but before we can talk about how to fill the technological gap we should perhaps talk about how to eliminate the gap of human prejudice between different cultures. Each culture can teach something to another culture and not necessarily globalization must make us the same. If AI technology it's necessary in a certain country, it is an obligation of that country to work so that the technological gap is reduced, perhaps even asking for help to the other technologically more advanced countries. But to do this it takes time.
What 2 people do you admire most in the world of AI in terms of their work?
Certainly Sam Altman who in March 2023 took the risk of taking sides against Elon Musk and protecting his "Creation" Open.ai", guiding it in the direction more congenial to him, allying with Microsoft.
Another Person I Admire was the Founder of Midjourney, David Holtz, One of the Leading Ai Image Generation Software, When He State, During the Interview of September 16 2022, titled “Midjourney Founder David Holz On the Impact of Ai Art, Imagination and The Creative Economy ”Edited by Rob Salkowitz on Forbes
(...) My Stuff is not made for professional artists. If they like to use it, then That is Great. (...) - David Holz
(...) It’s Important to emphasize this is not about art. This is about image. Imagination is Sometimes Used for Art But It’s Often Not.
Most of the Images Created on Midjourney Aren’t Being Used Professionally. They aren’t event being shared. They're just being used for these other purifies, these very human need (...) - David Holz.
Finally, Geoffrey Hinton, the father of the AI, who left Google after ten years, in late April 2023 in order to have freedom of speech on AI.
I also admire his successor, Danny Lange when announced that he has left his position at Unity after 6,5 years and that he joined Google as the Vice President of Business Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence (BI+AI).
Instead, I did not like Elon Musk when he founded X.ai hiring an army of professionals men in his team, without giving space to any woman (there were no names of professionals women in the team at least at the beginning)
What advice would you give to aspiring AI researchers and enthusiasts who want to make a positive impact in the field?
You have to study, study, study. Be humble with the AI and what it can generate and do not give anything for granted. Ai needs teams who study together and not of individual people who think they know how to do everything alone. Ai must be guided, but first you have to know what you are doing.
If you could solve any global problem in the world with AI, what would it be and why?
I certainly would like to solve the problem of pollution and look for a way to change the evolutionary dynamics of the society that asks us to produce tirelessly, consuming all the natural resources of this world. I made a series of images generated by AI on the theme of pollution and I imagined the burning land. You can see some of my images at this link: https://area6dof.com/ai-works-editio-by-cecilia-lascialfari/
I am open to collaborations on the creation of generative images with AI. I dream of being able to create great design works with this technique. Contact me if you want to know more.
I am open to collaborations on the creation of generative images with AI. I dream of being able to create great design works with this technique. Contact me if you want to know more.
What inspired you to participate in this AI summit as a speaker, and what message do you hope to convey to the audience?
My intent is to merge art, culture and technology. The message I would like to bring to World Summit AI is that you can be artists with the AI, but you have to know what you are doing. To declare "artist" yourself, it is not enough to write a prompt in an AI software. You need to make a path that leads your creativity to excel in the correct generation of images Ai.
True artists do not need to let the world know that they are artists. They are artists and that's it.
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World Summit AI
11-12 October 2023
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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24-25 April 2024
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