Reasons for Manual Image Editing over Generative AI
canopic jug writes:
Dr Andy Farnell at The Cyber Show writes about motivations behind dropping use of generative AI for graphics and moving back to manual design and editing of images. The show had been using generative AI to produce images since its first episode, but now find that it is time to rethink that policy. As the guard rails for generative AI are set up and the boundaries restricted, it gets more racist, more gendered, and less able to output edgy ideas critical of its corporate owners and its potential as an equalizing force seems dead already. So, while the show could set up its own AI instance to generate the images they desire, there is the matter of association and the decision to stop using it has been made.
Doubts emerged late last year after Helen battled with many of thegenerative platforms to get less racist and gendered culturalassumptions. We even had some ideas for an episode about baked bias,but other podcasters picked up on that and did a fine job ofinvestigating and explicating.
Though, maybe more is still to be said. With time I've noticed the"guardrails" are staring to close in like a pack of dogs. The toolsseem ever less willing to output edgy ideas critical of corporategangsters. That feels like a direct impingement on visual artculture. Much like most of the now enshitified internet there seems tobe an built-in aversion to humour, and for that matter to hope, loveor faith in the future of humaity. The "five giant websites filledwith screenshots of text from the other four" are devoid of anythinghuman.
Like the companies that make them, commercial AI tools seem to haveblind-spots around irony, juxtaposition and irreverence. They have nochutzpah. Perhaps we are just bumping into the limits of machinecreativity in its current iteration. Or maybe there's a "directingmind", biasing output toward tepid, mediocre "acceptability". That'snot us!
As Schneier writes;
"The increasingly centralized control of AI is an ominous sign. Whentech billionaires and corporations steer AI, we get AI that tends toreflect the interests of tech billionaires and corporations, insteadof the public."
Of course we have the technical chops to put a few high end graphicscards in a rack and run our own uncensored models. But is that a roadwe want to go down? Do we want to adopt the technology of the enemywhen it might turn out to be their greatest weakness, and our humanityour greatest strength?
The Cyber Show is a long-form, English language podcast based in the UK which does deep dives into information communication technology, how it effects society, and various aspects of those effects.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.