Messmaster said: So... we're just beginning our next 25 years. I plan to be here to celebrate the 50th. But the world is burning and AI is coming. Who will we be, even next year?
Congrats on the 25 years.
I have mixed feelings about A.I. because it is a double-edged sword. If A.I. evolves to the point of being as great as the holodeck on Star Trek TNG, then this will be great for A.I. content creators and for wam fans and consumers but will put real human beings like the models and old school content creators out of work, because there will be no need for photographers, cameramen, models and traditional producers. All the entertainment will be coming from a keyboard via software developers and the most creative A.I. producers.
In a few years time, we may have to create an entirely new genre called "RealWAM" and create a new sub forum where old school real models and producers can promote "real media" from real human beings in real locations". A.I. can never replace "Spontaneous WAM" where the model directs herself and does things in her own ad lib way. A.I. is like a puppet on a string where all the action is controlled from the keyboard by the puppeteer. Mind you, I am a huge fan of Thunderbirds from the 1960's and the puppet version was done much better than then live action version with real humans.
The old "Cliff's Notes" system has been replaced by A.I. ChapGpt that can now write term papers for college students, and we are already in the era of driverless cars, so I am sure A,I. can easily write a wam scenario script and produce it all inside a computer and then in the future project a holographic version I can interact with in my own house. But I am pretty sure my wife will not be happy with that idea.
It's an interesting topic. I try and keep grounded on it and remember AI is a tool, and it's not really AI. I remember back in the day when Photoshop was the end of photography, but it wasn't by a long shot. And we're a long way off of it being a reality to create videos without shooting videos that will be realistic enough for people.
Media tends to get over excited about things. Driverless cars aren't actually a thing and won't be within our life spans. Neither will be realistic videos created by prompts.
Big congrats for the 25 years. I love this place. Thanks for creating this amazing community and updating it through years . I have been into wam for 13 years but I have been here almost 7 years.