TED entered the world of artificial intelligence in October with the TEDAI conference. The conference was held in Vienna, and one of the main themes that emerged was how this cutting-edge technology will revolutionize the creative, digital media and educational sectors.
Speaking at the TEDAI conference, Selena Dickelmann, director of product and technology at the Wikimedia Foundation, said that “AI increases creativity in all kinds of dimensions.” “I have faith in the ability of humans to absorb what changes and I hope that they will come together in many different ways to think about the best ways to use these technologies to actually improve lives,” she continued.
Dickelman’s optimism is refreshing in a climate where scrutiny of the potential dangers of artificial intelligence seems to obscure the discourse surrounding how it can revolutionize our ability to express and educate ourselves. We must remember that as much as we need to be aware of its risks, we must not be afraid to accept that it will fundamentally change the way we practice education and creativity.
In essence, Dickelman’s point is that AI is a creative enabler. This could certainly be the case. AI-powered tools such as image, video or content generators can spark new forms of expression and problem solving. For example, Adobe recently announced Adobe Fireflya free service that gives creators access to features like Generative Fill that creates richer, more realistic images using text-to-image prompts directly to their needs.
For small, independent businesses who in the past have not been able to afford a graphic designer or purchase a content library, this could revolutionize how marketing materials are created, and as such is another step towards the democratization of cutting-edge marketing techniques.
Rotem Farkash, a technology entrepreneur, recently emphasized this as a point to democratize business development. “As an entrepreneur, I know how challenging it can be for small businesses to create the suite of content they need to grow and scale, and products like Adobe Firefly are a great way to give entrepreneurs this ability in a way that doesn’t,” Farkash explained. Eat into margins that are already very good.
One of the biggest challenges that social media companies have faced in recent times is content authentication to ensure that false and misleading information is not spread on their platforms. Artificial intelligence is an excellent tool to ensure the reliability of content.
At TEDAI, Laurent Boanec, country director at
Community feedback is currently a human-driven feature. Using AI within this feature can significantly improve the depth and breadth of community feedback. Likewise, AI algorithms can be used on platforms like X or Facebook to demote fake news while amplifying verified content.
Education is another element of AI development that we must embrace. Our relationship with education will change radically, and the number of people with access to the highest level of education will increase dramatically in the coming years.
However, this is a double-edged sword. We need digital literacy programs to upskill people so that they can know how to get the most out of AI platforms first, and then they can be deployed in the educational environment.
At TEDAI, Victor Riparbelli, CEO and co-founder of text and video AI platform Synthesia, said AI “will take us some time to evolve with the technology, but education will be invaluable in helping us understand it.” .’
Companies like Duolingo It has already begun implementing artificial intelligence to enhance its product offerings. In March 2024, they announced their partnership with OpenAI to include Chat GPT-4 which gives users access to two new features that explain answers in real-time and for role-playing. This is a prime example of the potential of AI to enhance learning.
In fact, in developing economies with remote communities where access to education is difficult, delivering educational facilities through AI devices can be faster and cheaper.
While we are right to be cautious regarding the development of artificial intelligence and its potential negative consequences, in recent months fear of these potential issues has obscured the incredible potential in the worlds of creativity, digital media, and education.
It is crucial that there is an ongoing dialogue between technology experts, innovators, users, and policymakers to ensure that AI is developed in a way that continues to enhance offerings to entrepreneurs, digital media, and education, while maintaining its integrity.