Episode 5: Guest Rob Salkowitz on AI's impact on creatives and the comics industry

Rob Salkowitz joins Brian and Sarah to talk about the expectations and limitations of AI tools in entertainment and comic books. In the interview, he explains what he has seen in his work as a consultant in technology and digital media, as well as covering AI at Forbes and ICv2.

This week’s news returns to OpenAI (where it was reported late Tuesday that Sam Altman will return as CEO). The conversation turns to how the media is covering this story before this week’s round of "Two truths and l’AI," featuring a Thanksgiving selection of real and AI-generated holiday news.

Timestamps for this episode:

[0:00] Intro

[0:22] OpenAI developments and why the story has captured so much attention

[6:30] How the media is covering the board vs. Sam Altman

[14:12] The Cambridge Dictionary’s selection of hallucinate as its word of the year

[18:19] "Two truths and l’AI: Thanksgiving edition"

[26:20] Interview with Rob Salkowitz

[31:12] Early reactions to AI implications for the creative industry

[33:05] Interviewing the founder of Midjourney

[38:12] Best roles for AI tools

[40:12] Webtoons and DC Comics

[47:55] Limitations

[53:42] Fair use and copyright issues

[1:05:15] Best ethical priorities on display right now

Links for topics referenced in this episode:

Microsoft’s overtures to Sam Altman and OpenAI employees (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/21/microsoft-exec-says-openai-employees-can-join-with-same-compensation.html

More than 95% of OpenAI employees prepared to quit (FT): https://www.ft.com/content/7215167b-b3dc-4a09-b8db-b6b20b79239e

Puck’s Teddy Schleifer on Sam Altman’s relationships with journalists (X):

https://twitter.com/teddyschleifer/status/1726644226006700522

Eric Newcomer on the case for the OpenAI board’s position (Substack):

Give OpenAI's Board Some Time. The Future of AI Could Hinge on It

Hallucinate updated as 2023’s word of the year by Cambridge Dictionary (BBC): https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-67424335

The AI Human Generator for creating fake people (The Creative Bloq): https://www.creativebloq.com/news/ai-human-generator

A guide for using AI in Thanksgiving plans (Fast Company): https://www.fastcompany.com/90984948/ai-guide-to-thanksgiving-chatgpt

"AI is coming to comics whether we like it or not. Are there ways it could help?" (ICv2): https://icv2.com/articles/columns/view/55521/ai-coming-comics-whether-we-like-it-not-are-there-ways-it-could-help

"AI is coming for commercial art jobs. Can it be stopped?" (Forbes): https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2022/09/16/ai-is-coming-for-commercial-art-jobs-can-it-be-stopped/

Interview with Midjourney founder David Holz (Forbes): https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2022/09/16/midjourney-founder-david-holz-on-the-impact-of-ai-on-art-imagination-and-the-creative-economy/

Rob Salkowitz’s website:

https://robsalkowitz.com/

Rob Salkowitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robsalkowitz/

More links to news that didn’t make the show:

Board reinstates Sam Altman as CEO at OpenAI (The New York Times): https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/22/technology/openai-sam-altman-returns.html

Meta eliminates its responsible AI team (Decrypt): https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-67424335