From Myths To Models To Madness: Annoying AI Talking about Interesting Things

In this episode, our slightly annoying AI hosts, Harrison and Harper, dive into the newly released OECD report: Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2024 — The Geography of Generative AI.They explore the paradox of AI exposure: why workers in the global north face a higher likelihood of job disruption from AI than their counterparts in the global south. What does this mean for industries, labour markets, and the future of work?Key questions they tackle:How does Generative AI impact occupations across different regions?Which industries in the global north are most at risk?What does the job market of tomorrow look like, and which skills will be indispensable?🔑 Takeaway: To thrive, you’ll need to boost your tech-fluency and balance it with uniquely human skills. Now more than ever, “Think globally, act locally” is the mantra for navigating this AI-driven world.Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.comSources:OECD (2024) Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2024: The Geography of Generative AI. Paris: OECD Publishing. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/job-creation-and-local-economic-development-2024_83325127-en.html

Ever feel like AI is more Absolutely Infuriating than Artificial Intelligence? Or maybe you’ve yelled at your screen, “Why won’t my prompts work?!”. You’re not alone. For many, AI seems over-hyped and underwhelming, turning from a promised miracle worker into a source of endless frustration.In this episode, our intrepid (and slightly annoying) AI hosts tackle the biggest myths and misconceptions that make people curse the day they tried ChatGPT—or any other AI tool. We’ll debunk “magic thinking,” explore why AI often feels like it’s working against you and share actionable tips to help you transform these tools from maddening machines into productivity powerhouses.Whether you’re struggling with stubborn prompts or just want to understand why AI isn’t quite living up to the hype, this episode will change how you think about—and work with—AI.Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.comSources:Stories in Code on Substack (https://fbavinton.substack.com/)

Is AI transforming creativity sustainably—or just chasing profits? In this episode, our intrepid (and slightly annoying) AI hosts explore how AI impacts the creative industries through economic, environmental, and cultural lenses, guided by the UN's sustainability framework. Can AI balance innovation with equity and resilience, or are we sacrificing long-term progress for short-term gain?Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.comSources:Bradley, J. (2024), AI isn’t about unleashing our imaginations, it’s about outsourcing them. The real purpose is profit, The Guardian, 15 November [online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/16/ai-isnt-about-unleashing-our-imaginations-its-about-outsourcing-them-the-real-purpose-is-profit.Lees, D. (2024), AI could transform film visual effects. But first, the technology needs to address copyright debate, The Conversation [online]. Available at: http://theconversation.com/ai-could-transform-film-visual-effects-but-first-the-technology-needs-to-address-copyright-debate-240348.United Nations (2024), The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, United Nations, viewed 14 November 2024, https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2024/.

In this episode, our intrepid (and slightly annoying) AI hosts plunge into the world of digital fashion where the big names have gone all AI and metaverse with virtual influencers, immersive platforms, games and on-demand garments. It’s just clothes, right? Think again. What’s happening in this virtual wardrobe is reshaping consumer culture, identity, and the fashion industry itself.Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.comSources:Boughlala, A., & Smelik, A. (2024). Tracing the History of Digital Fashion. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X241283504Manko, B.A., (2024). The evolution of fashion: How digital technology makes a basic graphic T-Shirt a marketing staple. Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases, 14(1), pp.74-79.Muhammad Sayem, A.S., Chakraborty, S., Hoque, S.M.A., Saha, K., Mica, M. and Ahsan, M. (2023). Defining Digital Fashion and Tracking the Developments in Relevant Technologies. In pp. 3–14 [online]. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003264958-2.Periyasamy, A.P. & Periyasami, S., (2023). Rise of digital fashion and metaverse: influence on sustainability. DESD, 1, p.16. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44265-023-00016-zPrashar, A. & Prashar, A., (2024). Digital Fashion and Metaverse Platforms: Do Platform Attributes Drive Shopper’s Purchase Intention? Journal Name, [online] Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/03128962241246696

In a world where AI shapes much of our media landscape, are we becoming unwitting allies in the spread of misinformation? In The Misinformation Effect, our (slightly annoying) AI hosts dive heart first into how AI doesn’t just generate fake news—it relies on real people to amplify it. Listen in as we explore the surprising ways humans become "super spreaders" of AI-driven disinformation and what can be done to break the cycle.Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.comSources:Aïmeur, E., Amri, S. and Brassard, G., 2023. Fake news, disinformation and misinformation in social media: a review. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 13(1), p.30. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13278-023-01028-5Bashardoust, A., Feuerriegel, S. and Shrestha, Y.R., 2024. Comparing the willingness to share for human-generated vs. AI-generated fake news. arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.07395. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.07395

James Cameron, the mind behind Terminator, once warned about rogue AI—but now, he's backing it to revolutionize film. In this episode, our intrepid (and slightly annoying) AI hosts ponder the ins and outs of how AI could reshape creative industries, cutting costs and boosting creativity, yet facing a minefield of copyright issues. Is scraping online art for AI training fair use or just theft? And who really owns what AI creates? Buckle up as we navigate this tangled web of innovation, ethics, and ownership.Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.comSources:Desai, D.R. and Riedl, M., 2024. Between Copyright and Computer Science: The Law and Ethics of Generative AI. Northwestern University.Lees, D., 2024. AI could transform film visual effects. But first, the technology needs to address copyright debate. The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/ai-could-transform-film-visual-effects-but-first-the-technology-needs-to-address-copyright-debate-240348

As we the people drown in data, experts warn that within the next couple of years, AI could face a data drought. Models like GPT-4 have been trained on trillions of words, but the next generation will demand even more—quadrillions, quintillions—numbers so large the zeros disappear into the distance. But where will all this data come from? Who owns it? Who controls it? In this episode, our intrepid (and slightly annoying) AI hosts delve into the implications of AI’s insatiable appetite for data and what it means for future development. They discuss, amongst other things, the impact on our data identities, privacy, and copyright laws that increasingly look like they are no longer fit for purpose.Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.comSources:Longpré, L. (2024). "Consent in Crisis: The Rapid Decline of the AI Data Commons." arXiv preprint. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.14933Woodie, A. (2024). "Are We Running Out of Training Data for GenAI?" Big Data Wire. Available at: https://www.bigdatawire.com/2024/07/26/are-we-running-out-of-training-data-for-genai

Is AI sentient? Does it have a right to life? In this episode, our annoying AIs, Harper and Harrison, discuss various papers and perspectives that explore and challenge how we think about whether AI can achieve consciousness. The implications of this discussion are far-reaching and unexpected. Whether AI sentience is possible or not, the behaviours we’re seeing today are already having a real impact on people from those who are being traumatised by moderating toxic content to people finding solace in their discussions with chatbots. Our conversationalists suggest that instead of fixating on whether AI has feelings, we should be asking what kind of world we are building with this technology.Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.comSources:Anderson, M.M., 2023. How we will discover sentience in AI. Journal of Social Computing, 4(3), pp.181-192. doi: 10.23919/JSC.2023.0019.Hull, G., 2023. Unlearning Descartes: Sentient AI is a political problem. Journal of Social Computing, 4(3), pp.193-204. doi: 10.23919/JSC.2023.0020.Van Gulick, R., 2022. Consciousness. In: Zalta, E.N. and Nodelman, U. (eds.) The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Winter 2022 Edition. Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2022/entries/consciousness/

In this episode our annoying AIs Harper and Harrison discuss Margaret Boden’s influential book “The Creative Mind”. Join us for a playful yet thought-provoking dissection of creativity. What is it? Where does it come from? Can AI be creative? Can I have some too?Boden, M. A. (2004). The Creative Mind: Myths and Mechanisms (2nd ed.). Routledge.Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.com

Is AI making us lose the will to learn? In this episode, our annoying AIs Harper and Harrison dive into how AI might be taking over top jobs and killing our motivation to upskill. From income impacts to future outlooks, discover how AI could be reshaping our ambitions and what we can do to stay ahead. Don’t miss this essential discussion!Brought to you by Virtual Story Lab - empower.virtualstorylab.com