The Biggest Thing That AI Changes?

Last week we discussed how AI seems to be following the exact opposite trajectory of every other technology advancement–available to everyone now, but perhaps owned by only the few in the long run. This is certainly one of the strangest things about AI's journey so far. And we've suggested that this is why the current moment in technology feels so different.

There's no shortage of fantasies and doomsday scenarios about AI. Whose job is it coming for? Can it solve climate change? Will it steal our cars while we're sleeping? 

But maybe AI's biggest impact of all is already here, and hiding in plain site. First, all credit to the great Ben Thompson at Stratechery for making this beautiful yet somehow also chilling observation. As Ben points out, humans by nature are visual creatures. The oldest cave paintings predate writing by about 35,000 years. In fact research shows that the human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text. And 90% of all information transmitted to the brain is visual. This includes everything we see around us–shapes, colors, movements, and spatial relationships. As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Yet since the invention of writing, text has been the nearly universal way that information is transferred for one simple reason–we're not all artists. And even for those of us who are, pictures are time consuming to create. So almost to a person, we choose 1,000 words over one picture the vast majority of the time. But despite this choice, text remains a low-powered substitute for visual communication.

And now suddenly, because of image generation tools like DALL-E, MidJourney, and Stable Diffusion we can all swap thousands of words for a few images in just a few seconds. Even if you've never heard of these tools, you may have already used them in Canva, ChatGPT, HubSpot, or dozens of other applications.

The Implications of Image Generation 

In a previous newsletter we discussed how image generation is already transforming political ads, including through dramatically lower prices, studio-level effects, and previously unthinkable production speeds.

We've also suggested that the next generation of political ads is nearly upon us–dynamically created ads, tailored to each voter's particular interests and tastes.

But the implications of image generation go far beyond the ads we create for clients. What happens when we can suddenly communicate with images instead of words? What does this mean for client and member communications? Lobbying? Employee communications? Communications with our kids and spouse? For learning in general?

As with most things in AI, it's impossible to say. Image generation has often been dismissed as a toy or a replacement for stock photos. But given its ability to fundamentally change the nature of communication, it seems to be much more than that. 

We are now all artists–what does this mean?

Let's discuss ideas for your organization.  

3 Suggestions To Operationalize This Email

🔱  Try a simple image generator today like Canva Magic Media or ChatGPT 40 with built in DALL-E. 

🔱  Look at your last political ad or communication to a policy-maker and consider how it might have been improved with image generation.

🔱  Ask your kids or a colleague what image generation tools they are using, and how they are using them.

🔱  If you're enjoying this content, please consider forwarding it to a colleague or friend. If you're not already a subscriber, please sign up here to stay up to date on the latest developments in political technology.

🔱  If you'd like to learn more about how AI can impact your work, contact us today to chat.