AI - it’s time for a wider conversation in Somerset.
Sir Stephen Fry is the latest high profile person to lend their voice to the discussion around AI.
“I am both a ‘boomer’ and a ‘doomer,’” he said. “A doomer because it is in the same hands of the people who gave us social media. A doomer because they are fighting any hint or suggestion of guardrails and caution. A doomer because all technology is inevitably exploited.
“I’m a boomer too because AI itself gives us unique tools with which to deal with the very threats that I’ve mentioned. It [will] very soon help us with some of the worst diseases we’ve known. Without AI, how can we beat climate change?”
It’s a subject that our board of trustees raised some time ago and in response to the rapidly developing AI landscape put in place some guiding principles.
1. Somerset Film should take a responsible approach to the use of AI.
2. AI should be used to support human creativity rather than be the primary source of creativity.
3. AI product should not be the final creative stage in a creative process.
4. AI product should not be the final stage in a research process: AI research results should be appraised, assessed, verified and qualified.
5. AI product should not be the final stage in any production process: as a minimum requirement all AI product should be reviewed and assessed.
6. Users of AI should be aware of the limitations, risks and consequences of using AI tools.
7. Only responsibly produced and sourced AI tools should be used.
8. Exception may be made for educational and demonstration purposes.
9. Where AI tools are used this should be acknowledged.
10. Somerset Film should raise awareness of the opportunities, benefits and dangers AI presents socially, environmentally, economically and existentially.
Currently, AI is a standing item on our board’s agenda and as a team we are monitoring our use of it: from those regular software updates, in which AI tools are becoming increasingly embedded, to our planned creative use in production. For example in 2024, we piloted AI within our socially engaged practice, using it to suggest lyrics based on large amounts of audio recordings from community contributors. The final work was arranged musically by our creative technologist with and for a local choir to sing.
More recently, our colleague Phil Shepherd has written to Somerset Council on behalf of the trustees, urging them to initiate a public conversation. To bring together interested parties including tech companies, Chambers of Commerce, Youth Parliament, training agencies, health and well-being bodies, trade unions, cultural organisations, businesses, key organisations as well as individuals from across the sector. It’s an event we would be happy to host here at The Engine Room.
Like Sir Stephen Fry, we believe AI has great potential to:
support new forms of creativity and production
strengthen small businesses through accessible tools
rethink how services are delivered in more human-centred ways
However, there are also concerns about
the rising unemployment that will inevitably result from unregulated roll out of AI
the resultant loss of skills and capacity in Somerset’s population
maintaining high level of skills when AI is better at doing many tasks currently undertaken by humans
growing dependency on AI when we know it is not infallible and frequently makes mistakes
the adverse mental health consequences of AI dependency and resultant de-skilling.
If you would be interested in being part of a wider conversation about AI then do contact us.