This week Google announced an update to their DeepMind video model called Veo 3 and some of the demos have been absolutely mind-blowing (and somewhat mind-altering). Videos that could be commercials or even part of a feature film are starting to be produced and distributed widely. They have authentic audio and even the look and feel of something that is real. Here’s an example of a series of car show interviews:
Just like those creepy Will Smith-eating-spaghetti videos from a couple of years ago, these are the worst examples of this technology. They are only going to get better.
What does that mean for the future of film, commercials, television? What does it mean for the future of art and music when AI can create something reasonably close to reality? The truth is, we are in a strange transition period as humans with technology.
Back in the early 1900’s, when automobiles were introduced to the public, there was a “messy” transitional period. As horse and carriages were the main form of non-pedestrian travel, there were many accidents that occurred as these two technologies merged. There were no traffic lights when cars first came out. We are currently in the “no traffic lights” stage of AI too.
While I think we’ll continue to have a lot of messy interactions with AI in the immediate future, I wonder what the future will look like for humans after the dust settles. And, given my background in education, how will that affect learning?
Time to bring back the play?
Centuries ago, before the invention of film, the populous entertained itself by going to plays to watch humans interact on a stage. Plays, musicals, and the theater have remained a part of the human entertainment experience, albeit shifting to the background as film and TV started to take over in the last century. Now, as film and TV give way to short-form content on TikTok and as that content (potentially) gives way to AI-generated content, what’s to become of the entertainment industry?
I believe, in some way, as a result of more and more AI-generated content flooding our phones and internet, the play will make a comeback. People are going to start to crave authentic-human content. Much like buying a record for nostalgia or “because it has a richer sound”, we will begin to seek more and more human experiences in a post-AI world. And it doesn’t end there.
The music industry
If you’ve been to a concert in the past few years, you’ll notice that the price of tickets have almost grown ten fold. To go see Elvis back in the 1950’s, it would have cost you $1.50 (or $17 when adjusted for inflation). In the 1980’s when the King of Pop was dominating the air waves, it would have cost you $28 dollars ($85 by today’s inflation) to see Michael Jackson live. Flash forward to Taylor Swift’s recent Era Tour and her tickets started at $253 but were commonly being sold for thousands on reseller sites.
This recent jump in prices is led by many factors (as listed at the bottom of this post) including higher production, more lavish experiences for the concert-goer, and ultimately supply and demand. Humans CRAVE authentic experiences. We CRAVE interaction (yes, I know you introverts are rolling your eyes at me right now but even you like talking to people from time to time 🙂 If all of our experiences are generated and presented by artificial intelligence, then that’s just what they’ll be…artificial.
AI School vs. Human School
At this point we have to really be thinking long and hard about what education will and should look like for our students. In a world where we can have AI do everything, what roles does education play? What happens to our brains if we let AI do most of the heavy lifting?
I recently heard an interview with cognitive scientist Phil Fernbach on the Hidden Brain podcast. In the interview (titled “How Much Do We Really Know”), he shares a story about how he’s been using self-driving software with his car to help him get from place to place. After a few years of this, he’s noticed that his own driving has gotten progressively worse, resulting in more fender benders and accidents than ever before. His “driving brain muscle” had softened because AI was doing the work.
I think in some ways the future of school and learning will have to be based on more experiential learning. What does that look like in a post-AI world? That means we’ll need to be creating more scenarios where they have to “figure things out.” This doesn’t mean its an opportunity to wax nostalgic and make them figure out how to use a rotary phone or rent a video from Blockbuster. But it does mean we need to place students in situations where they’ll have to figure things out on their own.
I’ve written in the past about scaffolding the use of AI, and that’s part of the answer, but I think we really need to start thinking deeper about what their future will look like and what skills they should keep as well as learn in this new era. When they start driving, don’t let them rely solely on the GPS navigation to get them from place to place. Make them build a flower box or bird house from scratch. Get them to dig in dirt, take care of a garden, or cook a recipe out of an old cook book.
I think there’s a balance to what the future holds and what the past has given us. I don’t think we should run in fear from AI, nor do I think we should embrace it completely without some level of skepticism. Much like the movie and music industries, schools need to continue to evolve into places were students can have an experience. Much like the Reggio Emilia concept, schools should be creating spaces where students use curiosity and exploration via hands-on, project-based approaches to learn.
We need to create authentic learning, not artificial learning. Hands-on instead of minds-off. Creative thinking instead of consummative learning. Without some change, we run the risk of becoming just as much a simulation as those AI-created videos.
What are your thoughts? Is it time to re-invest in your local theater or a new AI platform?
Carl Hooker is an educator, author, thought-leader and instigator. He’s written several books including his latest “ZENgaged: An Educator’s Guide to Teaching the Anxious Generation.” This book is focusing on how educators can work with students to create balance between their digital and analog lives. Pre-orders available here: https://mrhook.it/zen
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