There is no question that the media landscape is always changing. There is always a new app or streaming service competing for your attention. Some of the newest technologies that are infiltrating the media space include ChatGPT, DeepFakes, and the Meta-verse. So what exactly are these new technologies?
According to Forbes.com ChatGPT “is a natural language processing tool that can create content, images and even code on demand via conversations with a chatbot.” So why has this AI taken over? ChatGPT is a new form of AI that seems to know everything and can do almost any written command that you could request. It can be used for quite possibly any form of work or interest. From formulating a business plan to doing your homework, ChatGPT seems to have all the answers you could ever need.
Next, we have Deepfakes. Deepfakes were introduced to the internet world in 2017, when according to socialmediasafety.org, “when an anonymous user on the social media platform Reddit posted an algorithm that leveraged existing artificial intelligence algorithms to create realistic fake videos.” These are now commonly used to impersonate an online celebrities, influencers, and personalities.
Thirdly, we have the Metaverse. What is the Metaverse? According to About.meta.com “The metaverse will allow you to explore virtual 3D spaces where you can socialize, learn, collaborate and play.” There are different types of Metaverse and each of them have to be accessed separately through virtual reality.
Ultimately, technologies such as these will lead the way to a new era for media and for society as a whole. These not only allow for more innovation to improve our society, but they will fundamentally change the way we operate in the next 5 to 10 years. It wouldn’t be too far fetched to assume that these technologies will completely take over our lives within this time frame. Take mass social media for example. Facebook only launched in 2004 and only about 10 to 15 years later, social media has exploded. From Instagram, to YouTube, to Twitter, it’s become an absolute must-have for society with thousands of people even relying on it for their well-being. These technologies are no different. About a decade or so from now, virtual reality will most likely take over for workspaces, chatrooms, dating, etc. People will become so accustomed to this new medium they will view it as better than their actual lives, relying purely on their digital persona. Deepfake technology will become so advanced that it will be hard to tell what is really the truth and what has been manipulated to trick us into believing other’s narratives. It’ll be used across movies, entertainment, advertisements, and more. And it only gets more advanced than this. ChatGPT along with other AI’s will most likely replace many existing jobs today as there will be no need for them any longer. With just simple question and answers, people will be able to program AI’s to complete tasks and jobs that previously would’ve required hours of work from people with 4 year degrees, now done in seconds.
It’s scary to think about the advancements of our technologies that are developing today and what they will eventually turn into in the near future. The only thing we can do is hope they will be utilized for good and, in a worst case scenario, prepare for the worst that these technologies can be utilized for.