Generative AI: Why Artists Need Not Worry
Generative AI: Why Artists Need Not Worry
(3 Min Read) Why artists are worried about the wrong thing.
Generative AI is getting better every single day. Today, it can generate writing like Shakespeare, music in any artist's voice, dead or alive, and drawings/paintings in the style of any artist, even Michelangelo.
With such leaps and bounds in AI, there are two open questions that worries artist's today:
Content creator's/artist’s trademark violation or copyright infringement: The general theme of generative AI will disrupt creators like musicians, writers, and artists. Even movies and TV series are being generated using AI. Here is a full episode of SouthPark created using current AI. So how do content creators like Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift prevent someone from using their voice to generate music or prevent trademark violation or copyright infringement?
Content consumers are mislead/duped by AI content: Users who consume content cannot distinguish between original and AI-generated content. And will be mislead by the content thats not from the original artist.
There are a few possible solutions for these problems:
Regulate AI and restrict generative AI access: While regulating AI is a must, restricting access to it on the Internet is not possible. There are enough open-source models, datasets, and companies that shutting down one will lead to the spinning of a new one.
Constantly try to bring down AI-generated content: This approach has been tried in the past with copyright content, and we still have it.
Use AI to detect AI-generated content: The chances are slim considering how OpenAI shut down its own AI detection system due to low accuracy.
Considering that the above solutions are not viable, generative AI may seem like a nightmare for artists. But there is a simple existing solution.
Verified Accounts (Blue CheckMarks)
Anyone who generates AI content must upload it to the Internet to distribute it. Content uploaded from non-verified accounts can be marked as unoriginal.
This strategy is simple and will benefit all three parties, i.e., content creators, consumers, and social media platform companies.
Creators can monetize the content that leverages their past-generated content and easily flag trademark-violating content uploaded from false accounts.
Consumers can verify the authenticity of content, whether uploaded from a verified account or not—a strategy most of us already use.
And social media platforms, which constantly battle content theft, trademark violations, etc. Plus, verified accounts bring them recurring monthly revenue 😉
This solution is not a silver bullet and there will be cases where simple verified accounts won’t suffice. But most will.
While today folks like me, who are not prominent content creators and are recreational social media users, only care a little about verified accounts and blue checkmarks. But shortly, I bet we all will.
My guess is, it would take less than two years for all well-known artists, musicians, writers, and content creators to signup for verified accounts across all platforms, i.e., Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, Tiktok, Spotify, Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter and many more.
And it would take less than five years for the remaining long tail of Internet content creators.
While there will still be a problem of content theft, at least the artist doesn't have to worry about complete replacement from AI-generated content.
The Next Challenge 🗻
IMO, the more significant challenge than copyright infringement or trademark violation for prominent artists and record labels will be fierce competition on content quality from small to medium artists.
Today, big record studios spend vast sums of money to create art/content of high quality. Netflix Studios is a good example. Lots of post-production sets/studio creation and highly paid writers. This creates a moat that small-to-medium-size artists can't compete with.
However, AI is eating away that moat and the barrier to creating high-quality content is vanishing. Soon, with help of AI, small content creators will be able to produce same high quality content and will be able to compete with big artist. And, IMO thats something that to worry about.
Either way, the future is going to be powered by AI. Exciting times up ahead :)