It's no secret that AI is everywhere. It's widely used to create images and craft videos, and as a result it’s reshaping the industry for online creatives. So how do they use it? What are the downsides? And what do they think the future of AI will look like?
YouTuber and content creator Brandon B has carved out a huge following on YouTube by using the latest AI to create videos that have had millions of views. From jumping over a car in roller skates to peeling a building into a piece of corn, these viral videos have helped him gain over 14 million subscribers. Brandon spoke to BBC Bitesize Other Side of the Story about the pros and cons of using AI as a content creator.
Brandon: When I talk and think about AI, AI is the enabler, it’s the door opener, it’s kind of this incredible tool that’s allowed creators and other creatives like me to suddenly enter the playing field at a much higher level. A great example that I love talking about is an incredible video we made of me swinging through Canary Wharf, as if I’m Spider-Man. Now traditionally, if we went back a decade to achieve a shot like that it would have cost millions of pounds/dollars, a team of thousands of artists working on it, but using new innovative tools that have just come out all of these incredible suites of AI tools, my very humble team of 25 artists and creators out there were able to recreate that video in just three weeks.
How does AI help creators?
“It’s suddenly enabled us to all have this incredible tool where we are able to lower the barrier to entry. So, most people have this opportunity to get a chance to be that creative and creator and create content that’s as cool and as great as the things that the guys over in Hollywood are making.”
What are the downsides to AI as a creator?
"Of course, there are downsides to anything where new cool technological innovation comes in. There is always the other end of the spectrum and I think the downfall I see with AI is an overreliance, or this idea or perception that it’s as simple to create incredible content as just clicking a button and pressing go. I think that’s how a lot of people perceive AI today. They think that you can just simply type in a few words and you get these world class incredible stories, unfortunately that is not the real world. AI is a tool, and it’s a tool that’s gonna [allow] creators like myself the ability to create absolutely mind-blowing content when they work out how they can harness it within their workflow.”
Brandon: The content we create, we don’t make full AI videos or even half AI videos. Where AI comes in for us is just to help speed up the process, help the artist to create what they want to make but it’s still made by the humans like myself in the video, my cinematographers, my directors, my DPs, my writers, my producers, VFX artists. Those are the real people creating the videos behind the scenes, not just an AI.
Do you think audiences are always aware when AI is being used and should creators disclose this?
“Hmm, I wish it was a simple answer as just a yes or a no. Of course, when you’re manipulating footage and you’re not making it very obviously clear that it is manipulated and you’re trying to portray a false narrative 100%. You need to be disclosing that you’re using AI and that you are doctoring content footage, photos, audios anything that can manipulate something that someone is doing or saying without their permission. Now of course I am a storyteller, a film-maker I get the incredible opportunity to absorb my audience into these fantastical stories in mystical planets and worlds. Now we, when we create our content, we use AI to help us with parts of the process that are quite boring like rotor-scoping, maybe tracking and other things that don’t require our artists to spend loads of time on. The things that they should really be spending time on is that creative flare and working out how to really captivate audiences."
What do you think the future of content will look like in terms of AI?
“I don’t think you’re gonna like this answer. I don’t think it’s gonna look that different. I think if we look at how filmmaking has evolved even over a century, it doesn’t. The core of it is the same. Even if we go back before movies were even made, if we just think about stories: stories have always existed within the same three act structure. You establish an environment of a scene, an equilibrium, you introduce a conflict and there’s a resolution. In the next century, stories will still be told the same way because that’s how we love to listen and go through the journey of a great story. Now of course, the ways we create those stories will naturally change but the end result and the output will always be the same thing driving the audiences to fall in love with narratives and the journeys that their creators take them on and getting to build out these incredible worlds for them.”
Brandon: I’m so excited for this next generation of creatives and filmmakers who don’t need that shared PC downstairs, who don’t need to watch 3 years of YouTube tutorials to learn one software just so they can make their first video. With all the brand-new tools coming out suddenly anyone with a phone and anyone with access to any form of camera is able to create these absolutely stunning and beautiful stories because of the incredible tools that are now coming out.
How can you use AI safely?
While it's true that artificial intelligence is reshaping the way that we live and work, the technology does have some pitfalls and is not always reliable.
An AI application will only know as much as the data it is trained on, and when it doesn't know it can simply make things up. That's why we need to be careful about how we use the technology.
Many schools are warning pupils not to use AI to help with homework, as it could get you into serious trouble so it's always best to ask teachers for their advice on how to use AI safely.
Social media platforms use AI to analyse what you like and to accurately recommend similar content that it thinks you'll be interested in, though you have to be careful this doesn't mean that you end up in an echo chamber where you won't hear opposing views to your own and may be more prone to believing false information. AI is also used by technology platforms to moderate content that goes against their guidelines and to label content that has been made with AI to help avoid audiences being deceived.
There are also many AI tools that can used to create photos and videos in a fraction of the time, speeding up the creative process. If you're creating content in this way you should clearly label it as AI so you aren't spreading misinformation, and you should also make sure you can spot if an image or video is AI before you decide to share it with anyone else.
