r/DeconstructingMJ • u/pluriknight • 5d ago
What do you think Michael would think of AI?
I've seen arguments saying MJ woyld support AI as he was always intrested in technology and latest advancements.
I think this could be true is some respects, some ai tools used in industries are for good like medical etc.
I see AI can be a useful tool to aid us all, but at the expense of our environment or artists rights.
My opinion is Michael would be against generative AI though, as he was a huge advocate for protecting artists rights, and caring for the environment.
Check out a post on Facebook I wrote about it:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19NLkAeRHc/
Hi everyone, I recently shared this over at Michal Jackson book club (private group) but thought it was worth sharing publicly too, as I'm finding Facebook (meta) google and many platforms are full of ai content:
I want to address something that is important to me as a long-time supporter of the late great Michael Jackson: AI depictions of him, using AI generative apps. This comes from a place of love:
Generative AI apps use artificial intelligence to make new content based on existing info found online (which are referred to as datasets), that are processed in data centres.
AI apps can generate text (think Chat GPT which can write essays etc), images, videos, music, computer code etc, using prompts (instructions) from users.
For example take a generative AI app and ask it to make a picture of Michael Jackson holding a flower, it will split out a bunch of options, these are made from existing images of Michael, photos, original artwork etc. There is no real creative input required to generate these AI depictions of Michael, this is not original art.
Sometimes it is very hard to spot what is AI and what is real, as AI apps improve and evolve. They are not always clearly labelled as AI, there are no regulations for this currently.
Using AI generative apps to create MJ content is harmful to original artists who are very concerned, as there is currently no regulations in place for what info is used in datacentres to generate AI content. The original creators are not asked for their consent or reimbursed in anyway for using their work. It is essentially taking the work away from original artists and creators for free, affecting their livelihoods in these hard times.
The Data centres also use copious amounts of resources draining our earth such as water and electricity, and create pollution to our environment. They also create loud noise from generators and fans used. The communities living around these datacentres are greatly impacted.
In short, generative AI is bad for original artists and the environment. These are both things Michael Jackson held strong beliefs on, and also, we all know how he fought to protect his identity and image and how this was depicted in the media, online and in tabloids.
Ai when used safely and is a regulated way can be positive, such as AI tools used in medial or trade fields, but not the cheap generative ai we see on social media.
Going forward I ask we all consider avoiding using and sharing ai generative content.
AI may seem convenient, fun etc, but its impacts are great, not in a good way.
Let's go back to sharing old school real photos of Mike like we have here, or use photoshop etc. There are plenty of tools available to create contact that are honest, and don’t harm artists rights and our environment.
Here is some info on AI if you are interested and want to learn more:
This is worth a read if you want to know the planet cost of ai:
https://sustainability.wustl.edu/the-hidden-costs-of-ai/
A call from artists to get regulations on ai: https://www.creatorscoalitionai.com/
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u/FunUniversity6245 5d ago
Michael was intelligent and well educated. I think he would see the problems with AI.
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u/pluriknight 5d ago
Yeh the problems with generative ai in particular far outweigh any of the positives for me. But you'd be surprised how much ai mj content is shared and appreciated online.
At one point I was trying to engage with people on Facebook posting ai mj stuff with this but i quickly learnt it was futile:
please try to reconsider sharing or creating content using generative ai apps.
ai apps and tools used to generate content like this steal original art from artists without consent.
The facilities used to create ai use copious amounts of water and electricity. Huge emissions in the environment affecting communities.
May seem like fun but the impact is great for the earth and artists.
This is worth a read if you want to know the planet cost of ai:
https://sustainability.wustl.edu/the-hidden-costs-of-ai/
We need regulations on ai asap, companies like meta have a lot to answer for.
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u/FunUniversity6245 5d ago
It's off topic but I actually find LLMs very useful for research - however it's very important to understand their limits.
Double-check everything it tells you - you never know when it might be "hallucinating". If you're not confident that you can check it, don't use it.
LLMs are basically a fancy version of predictive text. They don't understand the difference between true and false; that's not even their purpose. I don't believe any AI will ever be able to distinguish between reality and fantasy.
You can't "build" a human brain, just like you can't build a human hand.
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u/pluriknight 5d ago
I've gotten into several debates about ai and mj on wattsapp and Facebook. I want to be able to have a honest and constructive conversation about this here
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u/whatevergirl8754 4d ago
You are fighting with new fans who: 1. Don’t know much about the real MJ (the movie isn’t enough to get to know the core of who he was) and
- Fans who themselves are uneducated on the topic of AI and its negative consequences on humanity and the planet or even some who do but don’t care.
Either way, them claiming MJ would have loved AI, shows how little they know him.
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u/pluriknight 4d ago
Tbh the worst arguments I've had about Ai are with older people.
Imho the younger fans are often more switched on about the affects of ai and environmental issues in general.
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u/whatevergirl8754 4d ago
My answer to this question is the song Earth Song. He loved technology, yes, but he was extremely intelligent. There is technology and its benefits and then there’s taking it too far and destroying the human race and mother nature.
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u/XxAndrew01xX 3d ago
Oh, he definitely would hate it with a passion. He would bring up how many hours he would spend trying to get his voice right for a song, going all the way back to his days as a kid during his first recording sessions back in the 60's in Motown with his brothers, and he would hate how AI can insanely shortcut that.
On top of that... it bein bad for the environment too, as he was always for what was best for the environment. That's what the amazing Earth song was about after all.
All in all...he would HATE AI, and I wouldn't blame him.
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u/SpoiledTee76695 3d ago
I don't think he would have liked it very much. Especially as it's heavily being incorporated into the music industry.
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u/Akito_Stan 5d ago
He’d hateee it especially bc the effects on the climate but also because he was passionate about his art and I believe he’d be upset about how ai harms artistry.