Video of the Week: Take the Lead by Tilly Norwood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7V2Biy3omw

Ok people, steel yourselves - this is going to be cringe.

Tilly Norwood - the AI 'actor' that made Oscar Winner Emily Blunt say "We're all screwed" when she saw her - has released an awful, awful song, with a watch-through-your-fingers video, that appears to try and make creators (including Emily) feel better about themselves.

Essentially it's a synthetic call-to-arms for those working in the AI space. Creatives shouldn't see the new technology as a threat, they should be (ahem) 'taking the lead' and utilising it to bring even more art to us all.

"AI's not the enemy, it's the key" she trills, as thousands retch involuntarily. There are some flamingoes and cookies. Occasional dolphins. The developers (there are 18 humans involved, apparently, each of whose parents should be deeply ashamed) seem to have convinced themselves that Tilly's profile is such that she requires a 'message' and some 'authenticity' as an 'influencer' and this is how we all make peace with whatever's to come.

I have a certain amount of sympathy for the message - I do believe that, just like the word processor, drum machine and TV didn't kill off executive assistants, drummers and stage actors respectivelys, just changed what they did whilst giving millions more the opportunity to learn new roles and ways of working. This will happen again with AI.

But this level of fromage does no one any favours.. It's cliche-ridden, derivative tat that is more likely to infuriate those it seeks to convince rahter than providing a message they can get on board with.

I'm all for new ways to express confidence that AI is going to democratise so much more of what we had always thought would remain the preserve of a small elite. This is not that. It's just a very large amount of carefully put-together cheese, amped with over-earnest vocals, finished off with a huge dollop of tactlessness.

And jus so, so cringe.