With their newly unveiled Synthetic Media Landscape, Samsung NEXT is asking all of us to tell the positive stories about synthetic media.
Synthetic media, they say, marks the beginning of a third wave of media, and it will change our world.
We Choose Which Stories to Tell about New Technologies
We like to tell two separate stories about technological innovations: one is based in fear and loss, and the other in hope and possibility.
We’ve always done things this way. When the printing press began changing the way people spread texts, for example, not everyone responded positively. Living through the beginning of this transition, the abbot Johannes Trithemius wrote a long tract that praised scribes and criticized the press. He feared printed books wouldn’t last as long, and that monks would become lazy if they could rely on printing rather than writing. To him, the press marked the end of hard work and reverent craftsmanship.
But, as we now know, the printing press also allowed people to share their stories quickly and with huge audiences. Over time, new ideas and stories — especially those that were not important enough to write by hand, copy by copy — spread. And, the hand-written book did not disappear. In fact, it became even more valuable, and the act of writing by hand is celebrated as an art form today as calligraphy.
This rapid spread of new ideas is exactly what we see happening in the world of synthetic media, and it’s this story that we choose to tell.
Embrace the Positive Stories that Synthetic Media Makes Possible
Artificial Intelligence makes it possible for content creators to share their stories to wider audiences, using a greater number of high-quality creative tools, than before.
Samsung NEXT’s video, introducing the new Synthetic Media Landscape, showcases two of these technologies: synthetic voice by WellSaid Labs, and synthetic video generation by Synthesia:
Their video outlines some of the ways in which AI will make positive change by powering creativity:
- Anyone will be able to create high-quality videos on very small budgets
- Edits to media assets will be quick and painless
- Influencers and celebrities can create content using digital twins and take on more gigs
As Iskander explains, “AI will actually democratize creativity, rather than replace human content creators, and allow for greater experimentation.”
Be a Voice for the Future
WellSaid is proud to voice the content of the future, both for Synthesia (and Samsung NEXT) and for all of the content creators out there whose voices haven’t yet been heard. Let’s spread your ideas, together.
