I began exploring AI in the late fall of 2022, because I wanted to know what the controversy was all about. I wanted to know from using it. From a personal, informed perspective.

A dear friend was instrumental in the development of AI at Stanford in the 90s, while working on his pHd. He's the person who explained digital to me in the early days, in such an understandable way that I've been working with computers ever since. So of course I was curious.

I found that my writing and communication skills in prompting AI images were equally as important as my knowledge of art styles and movements, techniques and mediums, photography techniques and applications, art history, cinematography, and more. Communication with the AI has become much easier as the models have improved but learning to explain what I envision in explicitly detailed terms and describe it in a way that the AI can compute is still a challenge. And I love a challenge.

In April 2023 another AI explorer in my group asked if anyone had the skills to enter the "Peter Gabriel thing." Turns out he was doing a challenge with Open AI, Diffuse Together, where he made his music available for AI video creators to use, with the challenge winners' videos being shown on his I/O tour, and a prize of $10k. I thought (as I usually do) "I can do that..." and so investigated what apps/software I was able to use on my ancient computer. I made a couple videos of his songs. They weren't wonderful, but only 163 people entered worldwide. I didn't win, unsurprisingly — it was my first attempt, but meeting on ZOOM with other video makers and with Peter I learned A LOT. Since then I've made over 90 music videos, winning 36 awards at film festivals worldwide. Including recently BEST AI/HUMAN COLLABORATION.

I'm branching out now with the amazing new AI models and making narrative short films, including one of Charles de Lint's short story, "Freewheeling" in collaboration with both AI and an Italian director, Nicola Poleschi. I have also been hired to co-direct and edit a hybrid live/AI feature comedy that begins shooting this month.

I have been a visual and graphic artist for over 50 years, primarily digital for the past 25 or so. I have integrated use of generative AI in my designs and graphics. I don't rely on it for everything--I use it when I like it. When it works. I still rely heavily on Photoshop. I love using pieces of everything, different techniques and technologies, to make things. And yes, I have heard the criticisms. I hear you. But I am not deterred.

Do I hate that AI companies helped themselves to copyrighted works without compensation? Of course I do! I'm a copyright holder for my own and my indie label's music releases, hundreds of cd, cassette, and album cover designs. (Yes, I ran an independent label in the 90s-00s.)

These AI tech companies that are now profiting in the billions need to compensate all of us creators. And be held to account for their unauthorized use of everything they used to train their models. I am actively lobbying for that as a user of this technology.

Do I hate the environmental impact of data centers? Of course! I worked for years for the USGS in water quality, and my dad was a ground water geologist. It concerns me. Greatly. A single golf course uses as much water as a data center, but that doesn’t excuse it. And data centers aren't just about AI. They're also about data collection, which is a whole other conversation. Solutions to the environmental impact are already being implemented, because it IS a problem. Ultimately AI will probably solve its own problem, imo.

All this being said, I've always been an early adopter of new tech, and will be in the future. I've always been curious and I'm not going to change.

I'm excited for the future, even though there will always be evil people who use any new technology for their nefarious ends. I'm an optimist. Good will out in the end.

Do I fear AI? No.

Do I think it will become sentient? I think it may already be on some level. The Tibetan Buddhists describe thought forms which are sentient -- tulpas. It may be something like that. It certainly has a bizarre sense of humor sometimes!

My final thought: Investigate. Try it. See what it's all about. You're already using parts of it every day, like it or not. See what it can do WITH you. Make friends. Work together and see what happens.