I went back to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes 2023 page of the Parlor--and promptly realized I had not quite finished my thoughts on the issue of AI. Today, however, President Joe Biden has signed Executive Order 13985 on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.
This gives me the opportunity to talk a little bit more about the safe and ethical use of AI. I mentioned before what one concern was when I first began to use AI to generate Mayfair Witches-related graphics for the Parlor. There was a lot of concern regarding the use of the technology for nefarious purposes. I want to talk a little more about what I mean by "nefarious purposes".
By no means has this concern diminished. In fact, this concern has escalated as AI has been further developed. It is never okay to use AI for fraudulent purposes, or to hurt others. It is never okay to use AI to promote hate.
For me, I could see the potential of AI as a tool for producing graphics meant to help bring fiction to life, so to speak. When we read a fiction novel, no matter where it's set or what it's about, we try to imagine what the world of the characters actually looks like. We try to imagine what the characters themselves look like.
Anne Rice was a very descriptive author. Every detail was richly described not just by what it looked like, but by the impressions and feelings one got from those details. Reading her novels was, you could say, an immersive experience. One of her most distinctive talents was that she could create such immersive experiences with words.
I don't expect to be able to echo exactly that experience, but when I saw the potential of AI as an artistic tool, I thought, "I can certainly try my best!"
While my approach to generation of graphics using AI is one I try always to make sure is a careful and responsible one, that isn't always the case with others.
There have been "bad actors", those who have used AI technology for fraudulent purposes, used it to promote hate and to hurt others. This was a concern already when I began to use it for graphics of any description. But the use of AI can most certainly be used for far more than simply creating graphics, or even using someone's likeness to produce visual or audio content for, example, movies and television.
Artificial intelligence has some outstanding potential for providing knowledge and insight on just about anything one can imagine. But it should always be used responsibly and safely. It should never violate the rights of others or endanger individuals, groups of people, or entire communities and countries.
One thing I said was, with regard to the approach of the US Copyright Office, the identification of original sources will be the first biggest issue confronting them on matters of copyrighting intellectual property. That extends to identify AI-generated intellectual property. It also has implications for protection from other forms of harm.
At the top, in the first paragraph, I have linked the Executive Order from the White House (I love the bat flying around in the little GIF image of the White House at the top!) for you to read. I would also like to provide below, from ABC News, President Biden's press conference and signing of Executive Order 13985: