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About five years seems to be the sweet spot for people and companies working on generative AI. It’s a time that many people have reached, such as Spectrum Labs’ Justin Davis. Davis joined GamesBeat’s in-house dean Takahashi to talk about generative AI and whether communities are ready for it at our recent GamesBeat Summit.
The five-year term is popping up everywhere. Many of the big names in generative AI technologies have crossed it but have kept it quiet for the most part. It takes time to create working technology and the AI space is no different.
As consumers, we only see the end result. We see something like ChatGPT being released and multiple versions and revisions soon to follow. It gives the illusion that these things normally develop quickly, but the reality is that it usually takes time.
The time spent has an additional effect. It makes creators think about how the technology will ultimately be used by the general public. AI developers must consider all angles, including bad faith use that has already begun popup.
“I think this is just a sign of things to come,” Davis said of an AI-generated hoax that caused the market to fall. “We have been talking about deepfakes and all kinds of threats coming from generative AI for years. It was just another reminder of the risk and threats that come with putting powerful technology in the hands of people who can do real harm to the real world.
The technology is there
Despite a handful of similar examples, the truth is that most people don’t yet have a solid understanding of AI. But with software like ChatGPT available in the wild, things like Unity’s Project Barracuda on their way to mainstream devices, it’s only a matter of time.
The fact is, it’s almost less about whether or not communities are ready for generative AI. The technology is here and getting better every day. As companies begin to use it to build out video game worlds, or use it for moderation purposes, communities have little choice but to prepare.
For now, however, there is still a necessary human element in play. AI can already do a lot, but not everything. Yet.
“You come up with a hate speech or threat policy that covers all the use cases that the AI can support,” Davis said. “But what about the edges? What about the things that are not covered by that policy? That’s where you need people to come in.”
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