In our weekly mental health spot, a few words on AI tools that are automatically trying to correct our imperfections. You might have noticed that, in our ongoing battle with the big tech gatekeepers (more on that here), that we’ve been spreading how we put our stories out on Film Stories. At heart, we’re advocates ... Mental Health & Wellbeing Matters | AI vs My Imperfections
In our weekly mental health spot, a few words on AI tools that are automatically trying to correct our imperfections.
You might have noticed that, in our ongoing battle with the big tech gatekeepers (more on that here), that we’ve been spreading how we put our stories out on Film Stories. At heart, we’re advocates of the written word, and audio of course. But we’ve been doing more video stuff, and in turn, that means a middle aged happily ugly man – that’d be me – has had to point his face at a camera.
Notwithstanding the fact that I feel obliged to write a personal letter of apology to everyone looking at my mug, this also brings to light my eye. I’ve long since had a slightly broken, wonky eye, It’s a long time since it’s bothered me in truth, and I’ve had people looking at me like I’m an odd Doctor Who monster – the highest praise! – since I was a kid.
What’s brought this back to the fore though is a nice man I work with called John. John has been editing and working his magic on an assortment of our videos, and one of the tools he used keeps trying to do automated AI things to our work. I have thoughts, but will leave that for another time.
Instead, John noticed that the tool in question – and let’s face it, anything even loosely linked to big tech is trying to do it – had spat out an AI version of our work. And in it, the ‘AI’ had fixed my eye. Now, there’s a visual version of me where my eyes do what they’re told to do. And I absolutely hate it
I own my imperfections. I don’t like them all, and god knows I still struggle with body confidence issues. But I am who I am, these are the cards I’ve been dealt, and this is what I live with.
To see a computer decide that my eye needed correcting and then duly doing that: piss right off.
It’s been a constant battle that wielders of technology have been fighting with the actual human form. The Photoshopping of people to remove their so-called imperfections has been long called out and documented (and I’m very, very aware that women have this a lot worse than men), yet continues to this day. And now a fresh front has opened in that battle, as AI decides we’re not all pretty enough.
It’s taken a long time for me to say these words, but I’m happy with my many imperfections. And were I not, I certainly don’t want a computer unilaterally deciding that I need correcting.
As such, when you see me on a video, please be assured that my eye will remain wonky, my shelves in the background will be creaking, and every imperfection you see will be mine. If you don’t like it? Ah well. But it’ll be true, it’ll be me, and the more of us who stick to our imperfections, we might just stand an outside chance of breaking the whole cycle.
At the very least, my kids will see me on screen warts and all. You’ll be able to spot them: they’re usually the ones leaving the piss-taking comments underneath.
AI can, thus, do one. And this human-written column will return next week.
