Clockwork's Take On The Whole AI debacle. · 2:47pm May 21st, 2023
Hello everypony, Clockwork here!
I've been having a blast and a half recently with the fun folks over at purplesmart.ai, and I wanted to give you all a peek into the magical world of AI-generated art. Just so you know, I’m not a high-level tech wizard or something - my gig is actually a Public Policy Advisor. Think of me as a bridge between the realm of cutting-edge AI tech and the ever-evolving world of policy and regulation. In other words, I'm the one who shouts, "Heads up!" when a new regulation is on the horizon. But, that doesn't make me the all-knowing oracle on AI.
Now, let's get our hooves wet and talk about some AI and art, especially with a flavor of our beloved MLP: FiM.
Recently, there was a thread by Wanderer D about AI’s role in creative writing, and it piqued my interest. Wanderer D, I feel you, mate. The fear that AI could replace the uniqueness of human-created works of art, whether it's the visual beauty of a painting or the emotional journey of a novel, is quite real. And believe me, as a hardcore fanfiction writer, I get that. The human touch, the authenticity, the little quirks we bring to our works are what make them special.
But here's the thing. The way I see it, AI isn't some enemy trying to strip us of our creativity. Instead, it's another tool in our toolbox, another brush in our set, another voice in our choir.
Now, I'm not going to sell you on the idea that AI is flawless. It's not. It's a tool, like I said, and tools have their shortcomings. But at the same time, it's also an incredible opportunity for us to push our boundaries, to explore, to create new art forms we never thought were possible.
You see, generative AI (like the one purplesmart.ai is working on) doesn't just spit out pretty pictures or interesting prose. It's a collaborator, offering its own unique perspectives and insights. And yes, while it may not understand art or storytelling the way we do, it brings something different to the table - something that can spark new ideas, new avenues for exploration, and perhaps even new genres in art and literature.
So, is there risk? Absolutely. There's always risk when we introduce new technologies into society, but there's also reward. And, in this case, I believe the rewards far outweigh the risks. We're standing at the edge of a new frontier in creativity, and I, for one, am excited to see where this journey will take us.
Just to make things clear, though. When I'm weaving my tales in the MLP universe, I'll stick to the rules of the realm. I won't be unleashing an AI to write my fanfics for me. It's all me, guys - the good, the bad, and the pony. I wouldn't want to cause a ruckus or anything.
Alrighty then, Clockwork signing off. Until next time, everypony!
Stay creative, stay curious, and keep on trotting!
Here's what I'll say about the topic: The rule clarification is not about fear, or loss of uniqueness and such romantic notions.
Essentially, it is as you say: AI is a wonderful tool. But a tool is meant to aid the user: a plumber uses a wrench; a carpenter uses hammer and saw; a knight uses a sword; an archer uses a bow and arrow. And in uses like that, there is no issue when it comes to its application. The uniqueness of the craftsman or warrior are not in danger of being taken away.
Much like today using Grammarly or the dictionary included in most word processors assists writers and authors with finding the right term, or correcting something, or simply be made aware of a possible error.
The rule clarification is that just like any author here should not take the works of someone else and post it as their own, they should not use AI to generate the story for them. That's all it is. It's not a ban on using it as a tool to inform necessary corrections, or a ban on the furthering of technology. I work in IT, AI is a daily part of my life.
Tools should be used at the right time and in the right place. A knight would not use a wrench instead of a sword to fight a war, just like a plumber would not use a sword to fix a leaky pipe.
Just like here, an author should not use work they did not write to publish it as their own.
It really doesn't go beyond that.
5729755
Thanks, I perfectly understand the ban on AI in terms of writing whole stories for people because they can't put in the effort to write their own. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to use AI in external story development (discussing story ideas and themes without having the AI actually do any of the writing). Seeing as how it isn't actually using the AI to generate the story itself, but using it to evaluate possible ideas to consider, I'm assuming this use case wouldn't fall under the restriction?
5729768
As long as in the end you're writing the story it is perfectly within the rules.
I’m not that much of a writer, but I can very much say that Ai has great uses. It is certainly a double edged sword, but I feel it can be used well.
Mainly because it can help illustrate what exactly you want for a story/setting. Say you want to make a crossover between MLP and Star Wars. Giving the AI the information it needs, you can mold the story to visualize say, character interactions. For example: “How would Like Skywalker feel about the Elements of Harmony” or “How could Darth Vader use the Changelings to defeat Equestria?” These kinds of prompts could help inspire your writing, especially when you’re stuck with writer’s block.
What you shouldn’t do is have the Ai WRITE the story for you. That’s just plain cheating, and it discredits the hard work of others. (I also hold this opinion for Ai Art)
5729775
I just thought of something.
LLMs train their data using datascraping from all sorts of websites. It's almost a certainty that ChatGPT and other LLMs like it have trained their data on pony fanfiction.
Does fimfic have a plan to ensure future models can't train from user's stories?
I get the vibe most users on here don't like AI, and this is one point I didn't see broached on the megathread.
5729797 I don't believe that's the case. There's only so much that can be done about that, and fanfiction is not something you can copyright.
And I don't think people dislike AIs, I just think that authors and readers for the most part (or at least readers that actually care about the community) don't want to read machine-generated work. If all people want is custom-generated stuff, they can generate it and read it themselves. It just doesn't have a place here.
5729799
Nah I get that.
I just know that in my line of public policy work for AI, I know that there is a nascent movement to limit how the models are trained.
Just thinking out loud, that's all. I have a rapport with Karla Ortiz, a plaintiff in the AI art lawsuit in CA. She's helped me draft more ethical AI rules for purplesmart (artist opt out and explicit metadata labeling images as machine made).