Here is a clip from a hilarious video of animals bouncing on trampolines in people's gardens. It made me laugh a lot. Especially the way that the deer jumped but then tripped and did a complete somersault while falling off.
animals jumping on trampoline
The only problem is that it is fake. It is AI generated, so there never really were any kangaroos, or deer or bears or rabbits jumping up and down on trampolines like that. There are many versions of these AI animals going around and it is hilarious to watch ducks trying to jump or rabbits trying to co-ordinate their movements. It is genuinely funny, but it is not real.
Now, as I have discussed earlier, we do accept the idea of fiction in films, plays, novels etc. We know there is not really a dying Heathcliff out on that moor. We know that the mice in the 'Miss Bianca' stories are made up, and mice can't really talk or plan rescues. So we accept fiction and making things up that are not real, so what is my objection to this honest attempt to entertain us by producing something that we will find entertaining. Why do I find it so unsettling?
There was an original animals vs trampoline video that is genuine. It was filmed in California with coyotes exploring a ground-level garden trampoline, and here is the link.
genuine animals on genuine trampoline
It is much less perfect than all the AI fakes, so it is not as funny, but it does have the advantage of being real. The AI-generated ones can have any animal you like, as many as you like, and can basically make the animals perform to order. And we still have animals performing in circuses, so what is the difference here?
Well my problem with it is this: The use of AI in visual media, whether moving or still images, makes us doubt the evidence of our own eyes. Now you may think that is not a big problem, but I feel that it risks detaching us from reality in the real world. The phrase 'fake news' has been, you will admit, pretty prominent over the last few years. And Orwell's statement in 1984 is not to be ignored:
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
If we look at everything with a bit of doubt about its actual existence, then maybe that seeps over into our reaction to real things, like the bombing of civilians in warzones or the fact that people are starving in a particular region. Maybe the fakery takes some of the reality out of real things too, along with all the fakes.
I have a similar objection to Chat GPT and the like, which can produce human-sounding writing which has never originated in the mind of a human. I read many pieces on social media which are grammatically accurate, clear and laced with some kinds of emotion, but I always get a taste of 'this did not come from a person'. And when that starts to interfere with the way that you interact with real human communication, I believe it is a big problem.
Now I mentioned Chat GPT but I am not at all saying you should not use it. I have heard many convincing descriptions of how it takes the donkey work out of formulaic writing tasks while remaining completely accurate and clear if properly instructed. I did in fact talk to an officer from a local council who uses it to draft letters back to constituents who are complaining or asking for information. He said it is not only the speed, but in fact the quality of the letters is better, because all of the relevant facts are clearly included and referenced as long as you give it the necessary checks. So I cannot say that this is a backward step if it saves time and improves the experience for the recipients.
My objection to both visual AI and text AI is that it is moving our understandings of what real is. If we know that some things are fake or computer-generated, how can we keep our eye on what is actually, provably real? How can we not let our human and emotional reactions be affected in a way that is harmful because we take a mental step back from believing anything? Scepticism is useful but this seems too all-encompassing, too corrosive to our humanity.
The only good that I can see coming from this is that perhaps people, perhaps the next generation, may start to prioritize face-to-face interaction rather than the shakier reality of the online world. Maybe they will spend more time meeting friends, going to gigs, playing in sessions, playing sports, for the very reason that they can be sure of the reality of what they are seeing or doing.
As the rappers used to say 'You gotta keep it real!'
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