To understand the wondrous, magical power of #GenerativeAI, consider the above #Midjourney image, which I created utilizing multiple generative AI constructs.
The first is #blend, which was a product of combining photos of both a mannequin doll and an actual dog.
Getting to the right out required multiple re-rolls, which are essentially reboots, and then versions, which are more nominal tweaks, before getting to the capture I liked.
I then used #uplevel to render a higher quality image, followed by #zoom out to set a broader stage. This was followed by a #pan left on the image to augment the view further, and get to the final state.
From Ideation to Realization in just a Few Clicks
As an example of how generative AI turns ideation into realization, this suggests a couple of thoughts.
One, for all of the goodness of prompts as a UI/UX construct, it’s not going to obviate the goodness of nice UIs with well designed knobs and levers. Quite the contrary.
That noted, I suspect that the “relatability” of prompt-based interfaces will at some point become near universal (i.e., EVERYONE will be able to navigate prompt based UIs to at least some baseline of workability).
This reminds me of an observation of a friend who noted that the magic of Twitter was that it opened blogging (er, microblogging) to ANYONE who could muster 140 characters or less. Prior to this, blogging was a commitment of 500+ words, a step order function higher bar for most people.
The point there is that the emergence of the tweet did not result in serious writing going away. There is more written content than ever.
But, the accessibility of the tweet turned 1000X more people into writers & publishers, creating a new kind of collective and connective fabric (that that douche Musk has systematically burned down, which is a topic for another day).
Simply put, the prompt is to the tweet what AI based automation is to blogging/online publishing.
It will be universal breadcrumb that indoctrinates the masses into AI.
Don't get me wrong. There will be lots of vertical focused endeavors that take hold, but the focus here is on the idea that core to AI realizing its potential is the emergence of shared, universal set of learnings, tools and connected services.
This hearkens a bit back to what Kevin Kelly refers to as The Technium, and what I think of in a more meta sense as the Library of the Commons.
The Biggest Technology Wave...EVER!?
I just know that relative to every wave I have experienced -- The Rise of the PC, The Internet and The iPhone -- AI & Generative AI is going to be the biggest and most disruptive.
There are four reasons for this:
- Installed Base: When the PC was born, the joke was that three was maybe a market for eight PCs. Today, there are over 5.5 BILLION mobile devices online.
- Superpower: When the Web started, there was no iPhone, and most people had dial-up modem connections that were slogs. Today, we have supercomputers in our pocket with mobile broadband connections that are fast enough to watch live TV...and Apple Vision looms here.
- Adaptability: As so much of the underlying data that has trained this generation of Generative AI services was culled from public websites and popular web services, much of the learnings are adaptable to a broad set of use cases, which is useful in securing broader adoption.
- Relatability: Generative AI is as much a showcase of the power of natural language processing as it is of generative AI itself. The key point here is that it seems likely that at some point in the not too distant future, most people will at least adopt some baseline of prompt based systems and services, and for many more, it will be a gateway drug to deeper adoption of AI in general.
A final thought. This space is evolving incredibly fast, and so there may be some fear of missing the train.
My guidance there is this is the next 20 years beginning to unfold. Start thinking about how you want to ride it. Take small, manageable bites, take measure on what works and doesn't, and course correct...frequently.
It can be hard to imagine what a technology wave will look like when it becomes fully fleshed out and ubiquitous, but know this.
The first PCs were all text and no graphics.
It was once considered improper to use the Internet for commercial purposes.
This first "mobile" phones fit in your car trunk, not your pocket, and couldn't handle data.
In baseball terms, this is the second batter, top of first inning of a nine inning game.
Grab a bat, and you just might hit for the cycle.
