work smarter, not harder how ai is impacting the creative industry & Shaping the World Around Us by marquis shields

what is AI? (continued)

Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning

At its core, AI is built on pattern recognition. By feeding machines massive amounts of images, language, and sounds, they learn what to do through trial and error. This is known as machine learning.

The more the machine learns, the deeper it learns at an advanced level, teaching itself to accomplish more complex tasks.

That’s when AI enters what’s called deep learning.

During this process, the computer relies on digital “neural networks,” essentially mimicking the human brain & how it connects and processes information.

early programming

Pac-Man (1980)

Think of it like playing Pac-Man. At first, it feels easy once you finish the first level .

But as you progress, the game becomes increasingly more difficult. The ghosts start guarding corners, trapping you, even baiting you toward the last pellet.

Advanced Programming Patterns

It feels like they’ve studied your moves. And in a way, they have (through trial and error).

While the video game isn’t using AI, it has advanced programming, which mirrors a preview of what AI looks like today: analyzing patterns, adapting to behavior, and guiding outcomes based on past data.

It's like the machine is “thinking,” but not in the literal human sense. It’s certainly proven to be effective and increasingly powerful.

SO...WHO'S REALLY USING AI?

In the business world, AI is reshaping how companies operate. The 2025 AI Index report shows 78% of organizations are using AI, up from 55% just the year before.

The United States has invested over $109.1 billion into the AI market.

That's nearly 12 times more than China’s and 24 times more than the U.K.’s private investments in generative AI alone brought in over $33.9 billion globally, growing 18.7% from last year.

While the U.S. still leads in producing AI models, countries like China are closing the performance gap. Meanwhile, global powers including France, Saudi Arabia, India, and Canada are also investing billions into AI development and regulation.

The government has invested billions in artificial intelligence, and so has the music business (with a projected $38.7 billion worth of investments by 2033).

But while AI can create innovation, the industry's trajectory towards it jeopardizes artists financially.

Music producers like Timbaland have already publicly supported this change by introducing his AI-generated avatar, "TaTa,” who he plans on making the star of a new genre named “A-Pop,” artists born of code and systems rather than flesh and blood.

Essentially, song demos produced by humans are fed into the AI platform Suno, which allows TaTa to generate melodies, vocals, and sometimes full tracks. But this might cause long-term harm for musicians.

A recent investigation by the Guardian points out that music-industry employees and artists could lose as much as 25% of their earnings over the next four years as AI-created songs take over from human-composed music .

Integrating AI in the music industry is a controversial subject, and experts warn that it threatens to snuff out human creativity and income.

Artificial Music videos?

One thing that artists need besides music is visuals to go with it. If a song doesn't have a music video to complement the sound, there's no effective marketing tool to attract a new audience.

Yu$e didn’t have a production crew, lighting team, or a Hollywood-sized budget. What he did have was his iPhone and his computer. Using a platform called "Vidu," he was able to generate special effects, surreal images, and produce an entire music video.

Additionally, he utilized ChatGPT for social media posts, Vidu for videos, and has considering trying DALL-E to generate AI cover art.

NOW IMAGINE IF THE ENTIRE VIDEO WAS MADE WITH A.I...

Despite his strong advocacy, Yu$e isn't blindly supporting this new technology. While he embraces AI’s potential to elevate independent artists, he’s also cautious about how far its reach should go.

“Imagine if the entire video was AI,” he said. “I feel like... there’s no art to it. There shouldn’t be more than 50 percent of the AI doing the work.”

"The human touch will always have its own kind of soul to it"

That creative balance, he says, is where the magic happens. "Too much AI, and the soul of the project can disappear."

Yu$e sees AI as a tool—not a replacement—for vision. Used thoughtfully, he believes it can unlock new layers of storytelling for creators who lack traditional resources. But when overused, it runs the risk of flattening originality into something dull or formulaic.

"It's like the new Google."

Josh shared a few of his thoughts on what OpenAI software can increase productivity among Gen Z. “If I ask it for anything, I’ll get the answers almost instantly," he explains. In our generation, it’s all about the time, speed, and how fast we can get something done.”