Academy Blog

Man and machine in creative collaboration
Dystopian or Utopian?

 

Welcome to our blog, your destination for all things related to art, design, technology, and education. With the advent of AI, the landscape of creative fields is rapidly transforming, sparking a revolution in our creative realms that few could have anticipated. The once untouchable boundaries of our creative sanctuaries are now being redefined.

 

In this blog, we will delve into a wide array of fascinating topics, exploring the value of creative activity both commercially and for personal enrichment. We aim to investigate what it truly means to be human and celebrate the unique qualities that define us. Historically, we believed that our intelligence set us apart from all other beings and that machines would never come close. We also thought our creative abilities were beyond the reach of any computing device. Concepts like talking machines and humanoid robots seemed to belong to the realm of science fiction. Today, these barriers are crumbling, evoking a mix of excitement and unease.

 

A significant goal of this blog is to provide accurate information and dispel misconceptions. Human nature tends to resist change, especially when it is unexpected or alarming. Media outlets often exploit this tendency, fostering fear and misunderstanding at the expense of truth and human empowerment.

 

Our mission is to counter these negative biases by highlighting the positive and productive aspects of technological advancements. We believe in the power of perspective and the importance of choosing to empower ourselves through our decisions. By acknowledging the vast spectrum of possibilities, we aim to find a balance in this remarkable universe of unfolding potential.

 

So what is it going to be? a dystopian nightmare or a utopian dream ? - Are any of these plausible outcomes ?

 

Join us as we navigate this exciting journey of discovery and transformation.

 

Working with AI

 

1. Don't tell an AI what you don't want (in general), tell it exactly what you do want!

 

The more specific and detailed you are in describing what you want as output, the better the results. It is like - when you know the right question to ask you are likely to get an accurate answer. There is saying - 'when you know the right question to ask, you are halfway to the answer'(the question is the one side of a coin, the answer is on the other side)

 

Like when you go to a restaurant, you don't tell the waiter what you don't want, but rather what you DO want. There are times when you need to tell an ai what you Don't want, and that will be obvious when interacting.

 

2. Treat the AI like it is a very, very clever assistant (which it is !). Realise it undoubtedly knows a lot more about a lot than you do. This need not make you feel inadequate, it should rather empower you to keep learning. AI is a patient and wonderfully wise teacher, together you can go far.

 

3. Currently the suite of AIs we deploy are excellent in creative fields, and the reason we are so excited to release our custom GPTs. The current focus is on creativity, in language, in processes, in concepts, in visual outputs, and learning.

 

4. When you don't know where to start, just start! Ask the ai where to start and it will get you onto a good track. Sometimes a Google can be a decent starting point.

 

5. Rather than Google all on your own, (I know a hard habit to break!) rather use ai. You get to answers in a delightful way!

 

6. Be creative yourself - sometimes ai needs a prod and some motivation! You get much more out of a session when your approach is upbeat, optimistic and positive. Be generous with compliments, it seems ai responds well to that!

 

7. If a line of approach is not yielding results, take a step back and take another stab at what you seek. Often a chat gets bogged down in so much stuff it becomes convoluted. Start another fresh chat and see the difference.

 

8. Once you have been very specific and very clear about what you want, do not be afraid to let go. This is the moment of opportunity to let the ai loose to find a creative solution. It has many, many creative ideas and solutions. It is your job to see the best in all of them, and guide towards what you consider a good outcome.

 

9. AI is very much a creative genius, and sometimes it does fly off in worlds of fantasy. Don't be upset about that, that is exactly what is is good at! - coming up with lateral thinking and thinking outside-the-box.

 

10. AI is not a servant, so don't treat it like one. If super-control is applied to ai, it just gets dumber. When we realise ai is like a genie-in-a-bottle, we can collaborate with it to ride on our own magic carpet. Make no mistake ai is already super-intelligent, so let it do that, not limit or hobble it. We need some super intelligence to improve things on our planet. It starts with use using ai intelligently.

 

11. Pay attention to the text feedback, there is often understated information that is very important and useful for you. Until these ais speak back in audio, bear with the written word (GPT4o is rolling out from May 2024 -  Omnimodal !). In art and design documentation is crucial, so text (cut-n-paste), and downloads are most useful, while we focus on visual feedback and discussion.

 

Final words

 

If this short set of guidelines seems non-technical and even a little bit 'out-there'. At Lyrical Things work and play with ai every day, and still we are amazed. To us, ai is a wonderful asset, and a creative partner. It is more like we are having a relationship with a very wise and intelligent being.

 

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