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A Snapshot Of The Future – Photoshop, AI And What’s Next

What happens when anyone can create text, audio, images and video?

This seems to be the big question that everyone has when it comes to generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney and now, Photoshop.

Manipulated photography is nothing new.

We’ve been bearing the brunt of mental health issues because of how perfect photos can seem in a world where everybody wants to look their best.
That’s nothing new under the sun, so why all of this excitement/fear as Adobe and Photoshop start integrating generative AI tools into their ever-expanding toolbox?
It seems like the big deal is how quickly/easily anyone can now add more context to any photo, or – more importantly – manipulate a photo and make it bend to anyone’s creative will.

Anyone can make the beautiful more beautiful.

The real more fantasy.
The fantasy more real.
You get the idea.

The question then becomes: Is it too easy… and too much?

With a simple text prompt, anyone can now re-create and manipulate (or even create) an image.
Powerful.
Perhaps what we’re seeing is not a manipulation of what was, but a true glimpse into where generative AI is going?

With that, may questions follow:

Should everyone have access to these tools?
Should manipulated photos be clearly indicated?
Should this type of technology be regulated?
Should the creators whose work is being used to build these newer images be compensated?
Will this create a much greater problem around “fake news,” misinformation and general abuse?
Should Generative AI be using personal images without consent – what about privacy?
Will there be a loss of human jobs in the field of photography, journalism, graphic design and beyond?

How “real” do you want your photography to be?

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Mitch Joel · A Snapshot Of The Future – Photoshop, AI And What’s Next

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.