Artificial intelligence was the most defining technology of 2023. The software was revolutionary, creating all kinds of panic and excitement, creating a technology boom that will change our future in predictable and unexpected ways. There is no art form that has not been affected by AI. The technology has infiltrated many fields, including music, photography, writing, and acting. Scroll down to read some of the biggest AI news stories that happened this year.
Bad Bunny fights AI song
When used in music, AI can create recordings without any input from the performer. This is cause for celebration, as in The Beatles' case, it allowed them to release a song 45 years after the band's breakup and the death of one of its founding members. The song, titled “Now and Then,” was one of the biggest hits of the year. “We were able to extract John's voice purely with this AI and mix the record as we normally would. It gives you a certain leeway,” Paul McCartney explained. CNBC.
Other artists weren't so keen on the idea. Bad Bunny slammed his fans after a song featuring an AI-created recreation of his voice went viral. “If you like that f**k song that's going viral on TikTok, leave this group right now,” Bad Bunny wrote on his Spanish-language WhatsApp channel. “You don't deserve to be my friends. [reason] I made a new album to get rid of those people. So get the hell out of here. … Oh my goodness, I don't even want you on tour.”
AI models gain attention
AI models have also seen a surge in popularity this year, with various digital personalities making waves and earning thousands of dollars. These figures, mostly women, are created by teams of designers, programmers and marketers who come up with personalities and share images on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Evania Aria Luxardo is one of the pioneers of Latino AI models, with thousands of followers.
ChatGPT has made various headlines
ChatGPT appeared overnight and became a staple in every office. While extremely useful for time-wasting, mindless tasks like editing emails and PR posts, the technology also led to job losses. Various companies and websites started publishing articles written by AI, many of which contained inaccurate information. This shows that while ChatGPT is currently a very useful tool, it still requires human oversight to work properly.
AI panic impacts schools and Hollywood
Students and universities have been caught up in the drama over ChatGPT, with the former using it to write papers and do homework. The widespread use of AI has also led to the opposite problem. In one instance, a professor at Texas A&M University flunked an entire class after he believed his students had used ChatGPT to plagiarize their papers. They hadn't plagiarized, but the professor simply didn't understand how the technology worked.
In Hollywood's case, actors and screenwriters went on strike to demand better terms from studios. One of the main concerns was AI that could be used to replicate actors' likenesses and to write and rewrite their material. Fortunately, actors and studios were able to get some concessions, at least temporarily, until AI became more sophisticated and the debate became necessary again.
