The past week has felt like watching grandmaster Garry Kasparov losing to IBM’s Deep Blue in 1997. “This is impossible,” thought many people when AI beat THE human expert at chess. Now, ChatGPT has done the same to the entire creative industry with its new imaging powers… the impact is deeply profound and unsettling. But putting my conflicted feelings aside, I have been experimenting heavily with ChatGPT to make funky images. Just look at this week’s newsletter visual, isn’t it remarkable? Please read more in my newsletter, thanks!
When you watched the original Star Wars, how did you feel when the evil Empire blew up the planet Alderaan?
“I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened,” said Obi-Wan.
There was much outcry this week when ChatGPT’s latest imaging engine was released for paid users. Studio Ghibli-style selfies flooded the web as this engine has no IP guardrails. Yes, you can now generate copyrighted characters in infinite ways. While most folks were happy to reimagine themselves as Totoro’s friends, many creatives responded with seething outrage and denial.
Why? Because this is the moment when design, marketing, and comms folks discovered that their shrinking moats may have finally dried up. Until now, the best AI imaging apps like Midjourney could not follow prompts or create text well.
But look at this newsletter visual made by ChatGPT! Is this AI power good or bad for our creativity? I have so much to say, but LinkedIn cuts off emails at about 300 words (grrr).
On ChatGPT’s new imaging powers
How the democratisation of creating visuals will impact everyone
Impress your bosses with amazing ChatGPT infographics
OpenAI also relaunched Sora as an image and video site
A guide to image iteration (using Google Gemini before it got embarrassed by ChatGPT)
On other stuff
The most in-demand skill is now Communication (muhahaha)
Why people don’t like Literature (my theory)
How to build your personal brand online safely
The Gen X Career Meltdown, a poignant NYT piece (see comments for link)