1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,880 Speaker 1: So there's a bit of controversy in the Ockham New 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: Zealand Book Awards as two books by notable authors are 3 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: withdrawn from competition because their covers were created using AI. 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Shame on them. Stephanie Johnson's collection of short stories called 5 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: Obligate Carnivore and Elizabeth Smiths collection of Novella's Angel Train 6 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: are the two books canceled so their covers were created 7 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: using AI, and the Book Awards are on high alert 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: for anything that takes the place of human activity in 9 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: the creative field. The decision to amend the criteria around 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: AI was spurred by a desire to support creative and 11 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,639 Speaker 1: copyright interests of the country's writers and illustrators. So look, 12 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: I understand the concern from the creatives about the rise 13 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: of AI, but I don't think they really understand how 14 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,840 Speaker 1: AI was used in these circumstances. So you make a cover, 15 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: A graphic designer does that. Sometimes they might commission an 16 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: artist to draw the cover. That's all good. More often though, 17 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: they've been creating images using computer programs like Photoshop or Adobe. 18 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: But in all cases a human is in charge and 19 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: it's the same here. Elizabeth Smithers team had a specific 20 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: image of mind combining a steam locomotive and an angel 21 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: inspired by Mark Scheghale, And then a human asked AI 22 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: to do it. It popped it out. Then a human 23 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: refined it is that any different to a graphic designer 24 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: pulling it together in Adobe? But AI is spooking the 25 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: creatives right. AI bands have had hit albums. Now, Paul 26 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: McCartney is releasing a single two minutes forty five seconds 27 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: of complete silence in protests at all the AI that 28 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: is stealing a sound. Morgan Freeman is rating against AI 29 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: copies of his voice. But Elizabeth Smithers and Stephanie Johnson 30 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: wrote their books, and in Stephanie's case, the short stories 31 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: have been written over twenty years. But now her work 32 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: has been canceled because of a virtue signaling protest against progress. 33 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: She must be heartbroken. AI is out of the genies bottle. 34 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: It's important that whenever it's used, its influence should be credited. 35 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: But it still can't do its own thing. It still 36 00:01:57,960 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: needs a human to guide it and set it on 37 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: its way. So it's just like any other tool, including 38 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: a pen and a piece of paper. Meanwhile, on AI 39 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: on Thursday, we hear the Nvidia result. Now, Nvidia is 40 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: the bell Weather stock of AI is the chips that 41 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: they use to fire this whole thing. And there are 42 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: bears and bulls and people talking about the bursting of 43 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: the AI tech bubble as being a thing. And I 44 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: just want to warn that AI is interesting. AI is good, 45 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,959 Speaker 1: but AI is still in its infancy and there's a 46 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: lot a long way to go before it becomes a 47 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: terminator film. And I have to say, what interesting times 48 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: we live in. And I don't agree that Ockham New 49 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,399 Speaker 1: Zealand Book Awards should actually cancel. Stephanie Johnson and Elizabeth 50 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 1: Smithers for more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen 51 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: live to News Talks at B from five am weekdays, 52 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:47,959 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.