Why AI needs creatives- not the other way around

It’s fair to say that the adoption of generative-AI already feels like a game-changer in creative practice.

From the rise of ‘large language models’ (LLM’s) such as ChatGPT and image generators like DALL-E and Mid Journey, through to controversial deep fake technologies - generative AI is more advanced, more versatile and more accessible than ever before. Creatives at all career levels and across disciplines have a complex, exciting and at times intimidating new toolkit to play with. 

AI’s potential to drive efficiency and productivity as well as enhance human creativity seems undeniable. We’re already using it to create images that would have taken us weeks in Paintshop or to compile lengthy research at the click of a button. But these gains come hand in hand with a much darker, dystopian and frequently-aired concern - will, or perhaps when will, AI take my job?

The US writers strikes may be over, but if we’ve learnt anything, the fear is real, and the impact of adopting AI practices without looking at the bigger consequences can create shock-waves across an industry. Writers strikes aside, making fewer headlines are the numerous forms of AI technology successfully integrated into TV production workflows and ideation over the last decade. Examples include:

• Analysing viewer habits to create fine-tuned, personalised ‘for you’ recommendations on streamers, boosting engagement as well as providing deeply detailed, comprehensive audience data for the platforms to inform future commissions

• Using generative AI and deep fake technologies as a stimulus for new formats, such as ITV’s ‘Deep Fake Neighbour Wars’.

• AI being used in conjunction with ultra-high resolution (UHD), static cameras to simulate a larger camera set-up. This allows AI to automate the required crops and the sequence of shots from the feeds, using basic composition rules that are second nature to camera operators to frame the shots

• Utilising machine learning to recognise and classify different animals, as in the case of the BBC’s SpringWatch/Winterwatch series. This allows the crew to step away from the monitors while an AI dashboard monitors what’s happening during their absence.
  

• In Japan, a smart production system has been designed to aid in collating the news by combing social media and environmental monitoring systems to report on newsworthy situations
  

• Using ChatGPT to suggest toddler-friendly topics and generate a synopsis and template for each episode, as in the case of Particle 6/Sky Kids production ‘Look, See, Wow!’

It might be too early to quantify if use cases such as these have led to job reductions, but industry heads appear adamant to deploy AI to enhance the capability of their workforce rather than replace it.  Speaking to the RTS, Ben Russell, Director of Production at ITV Studios International says,

“One of our priorities is freeing up the time of our creatives so that they are not doing things that can be automated, but instead using their brains to develop ideas or produce the best content.” 

In a recent Broadcast article, Eline van der Velden, founder of Particle 6 said she thinks that “Every single employee everywhere should be using [AI], because it enhances your creativity… It’s just a tool… you still need good writers to ensure the final piece is well written.” So is the key to integrating AI successfully and maintaining, if not increasing jobs, more about us adapting and learning new skills to harness the technology?

Writing for the World Economic Forum, Mohamed Kande and Murat Sonmez argue that “companies and governments must focus on upskilling and reskilling.” Drawing on information from ScreenSkills, the University of Northumbria and AI-solutions provider LeewayHertz, a number of essential and emerging skills have been identified as being required in the near future, including: 

• Prompt engineering 
  

• Programming & coding 
  

• Data modelling and management 
  

• Problem solving
  

• AI-orientated ideation 
  

• A confident and competent level of tech fluency 

Upskilling will not be a light task, but one we shouldn’t shy from. It could come in the form of internal or external training; incentives for developing skills; funding in-house AI projects and recruiting talent with transferable skills etc. There’s also an important set of non-technical skills that we must grow and bring to the table if we’re going to ensure that AI is being used in ethically and editorially appropriate ways.

The capacity for AI and machine learning to perpetuate biases inherited from its human creators is under heavy security and perhaps best evidenced in an article from Bloomberg, who investigated the potential for bias in generative AI using the publicly-available, image-rendering machine Stable Diffusion. They found: 

• Men were represented 3x more times than women

• High-paying jobs were dominated by lighter skin tones, while darker skin tones were more commonly generated by prompts like “fast-food worker” and “social worker,” despite both fields being comprised of a majority white workforce 

• More than 80% of the images generated for the keyword “inmate” were of people with darker skin, even though people of colour make up less than half of the US prison population

Reports of bias within AI in use across numerous industries are not uncommon, and we carry a higher burden, as a sector trusted to provide accurate, impartial and ethically responsible content to diverse global audiences. You could argue that before all else, it is imperative we establish a widely recognised code of ethics regarding the use of AI before any further integrations.  

But far from being a deal breaker - this may just be the moment where us media professionals come into our own. Our very human skills of clear communication, sound editorial judgement and good old fashioned common sense are needed now more than ever to steer the direction of the AI ship, regardless of our current level of tech fluency.

Combining our decades of editorial and storytelling experience with the more tech-intuitive skills of the new generation coming into the workforce could lead to a step-change in creativity. It’s a hugely exciting prospect for the team at Gritty, who work with talent from under-represented groups, and often find the traditional routes into TV to be laden with structural barriers. Could the emergence of more tech-related skills and virtual work scenarios be the shift that is needed, to engage a much wider range of skilled talent, who have the expertise and knowledge that we need.

AI has the potential to help us revolutionise our working culture for the good. For too long we’ve been bringing our audience the future with our programmes, while our own systems and cultures have been playing catch up. It’s time to prioritise tech-fluency, build relationships with fresh talent, and invest in up/reskilling existing talent, so we can welcome these tools with open and capable arms - to the betterment of our creative workforces and audiences alike.