ARTISTS must adapt in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) but use it as a form of resistance, experts from the creative and publishing industries said in the “Generation AI” conference held at the University of Asia and the Pacific on July 19.
“Social media companies are now AI companies, and they’re preparing to steamroll us with money and legislation. We need to build up resistance, because we know what happens when we don’t resist,” Carl Javier, chief AI ethicist of Data and AI Ethics Philippines, said.
Javier said he wasn’t against AI technology itself, but rather the irresponsible deployment of these technologies by large tech companies.
“Our ability to resist will be understanding what the technology does, what its limitations are, where we’re going to use it, what we are and are not going to use it for, and using our voices as artists to advocate with larger bodies or to form communities that can resist,” he urged.
Mounted by the Cultural Center of the Philippine (CCP), the conference began with a callback to the early days of social media, when the new medium was initially received with enthusiasm, before transitioning to the negative effects of mass disinformation and data privacy threats.
Christian Valles, a Palanca award winner and head of project management at Ayala Corp., discussed another way of looking at AI: as something to master instead of reject.
“Since it’s unstoppable, we have to embrace it. Meaning, we have to master how to use it, and we need to know when to use it the right way,” Valles said.
“Jobs will not be replaced by the machine. The people will be replaced by people who know how to use the machine,” he added.
Apart from urging creatives to take advantage of AI, the conference also discussed ways in which AI could make work easier, or allow creatives to do more work.
Other panelists, however, warned against too much dependence on AI.
Liezl Dunuan of the Freelance Writers Guild of the Philippines emphasized using the tool with caution.
“I saw how it can be good, but I think it has to do with knowing it and being able to use it responsibly,” Dunuan said. “If you’re not careful, you will end up being overly reliant on it.”
“There’s a danger, really, of the tool being used by other people, not you, for things that will result in hurting other people,” she added.
Pepot Atienza, a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on children’s content, raised concerns over AI tools using the works of Filipino artists without their consent, alongside job security and other issues.
“The children, if they can only see AI, they won’t be able to explore different aesthetics. Their appreciation might be distorted,” Atienza said.
The conference was moderated by Sarge Lacuesta, award-winning fictionist and president of the Philippine Chapter of the PEN (Poets & Playwrights, Essayists, and Novelists).
It was mounted in collaboration with Abenson and the National Book Development Board.
A mini-book fair co-organized by The Indie Publishers Collab Philippines was also held alongside the event. With reports from John Kobe S. Balod
