Photo: Lincoln's Toy Show
We live in strange times. Thirty years ago, smartphones weren't even around. Twenty years ago, the thought of an all-electric automotive industry seemed like a page from the distant future. And now, here we are, facing the wonders and dangers of artificial intelligence.
When Social Media started, few of us imagined how significant an impact it would have on our lives. And the same is valid for AI. It can now look like a fun tool to generate images, videos, or text. But we should not underestimate its effect on our society. Many groups and voices have risen above the crowd to safeguard the technology. But we should all take a moment and educate ourselves on the topic.
You can't expect everyone to have good intentions towards others. So, we should be wary of what they can achieve through the power of AI. And I'm thinking about companies, too. Ultimately, their goal is to maximize profits and reduce expenses. We've heard plenty of talks that artificial intelligence could render millions of people jobless. And we should take that warning seriously to improve the quality of our lives. Hundreds of AI-generated images of Hot Wheels have spread across Social Media in the past few weeks.
Some of the most impressive ones are the Gulf-themed Mazda RX-7 and the Red Bull Ferrari Enzo. These look so good and realistic that one question quickly comes to mind: will Mattel ever abandon its team of designers in favor of this new technology? Today, you'll only see this level of detail with custom diecast artists. And we know their 1/64th-scale creations can cost as much as $650.
The team in El Segundo counts on selling millions of diecast cars to increase business. So it's not likely they'll switch to such a prohibitive design just yet. But if AI can find a way to design a new Hot Wheels casting, perhaps it can figure out how to 3D print it at an accessible cost. Something like this should not happen within the next five years.
But it's a possibility by the end of the next decade. Some of you may say: "Dragos, we won't buy AI-designed models; we must think of the creators!" The way things are moving these days, consumerism is slowly eating its way through the core values of our society. Ten years from now, most people might not even remember the great designers like Larry Wood, Ryu Asada, and Brendon Vetuskey, to name just a few.
I genuinely hope I'm wrong and AI will only improve our lives. Thinking of Murphy's laws doesn't increase my optimism: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong and at the worst possible time." But enough of the pessimistic thoughts for the day. Let's enjoy these renderings today and keep our fingers crossed for a better tomorrow.
You can't expect everyone to have good intentions towards others. So, we should be wary of what they can achieve through the power of AI. And I'm thinking about companies, too. Ultimately, their goal is to maximize profits and reduce expenses. We've heard plenty of talks that artificial intelligence could render millions of people jobless. And we should take that warning seriously to improve the quality of our lives. Hundreds of AI-generated images of Hot Wheels have spread across Social Media in the past few weeks.
Some of the most impressive ones are the Gulf-themed Mazda RX-7 and the Red Bull Ferrari Enzo. These look so good and realistic that one question quickly comes to mind: will Mattel ever abandon its team of designers in favor of this new technology? Today, you'll only see this level of detail with custom diecast artists. And we know their 1/64th-scale creations can cost as much as $650.
The team in El Segundo counts on selling millions of diecast cars to increase business. So it's not likely they'll switch to such a prohibitive design just yet. But if AI can find a way to design a new Hot Wheels casting, perhaps it can figure out how to 3D print it at an accessible cost. Something like this should not happen within the next five years.
But it's a possibility by the end of the next decade. Some of you may say: "Dragos, we won't buy AI-designed models; we must think of the creators!" The way things are moving these days, consumerism is slowly eating its way through the core values of our society. Ten years from now, most people might not even remember the great designers like Larry Wood, Ryu Asada, and Brendon Vetuskey, to name just a few.
I genuinely hope I'm wrong and AI will only improve our lives. Thinking of Murphy's laws doesn't increase my optimism: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong and at the worst possible time." But enough of the pessimistic thoughts for the day. Let's enjoy these renderings today and keep our fingers crossed for a better tomorrow.
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