In a wide-ranging discussion about artificial intelligence (AI), media and entertainment (M&E) and technology experts tackled the positives and challenges of the technology on Oct. 6, during the Women in Technology Hollywood (WiTH) Connection Corner webinar “Practical AI: Things You Wish You Already Knew about Artificial Intelligence.”
They provided a practical introduction to the world of AI and hit on the key leadership issues about AI ethics, security, trust, diversity, equity and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and socioeconomic impacts and business opportunities.
They touched on questions that included: What are the most important steps to take right now to achieve maximum benefits from AI responsibly? How can companies stay competitive in AI while keeping data secure? How can AI align with or even enhance our DEI goals? And how can we move past fear to create new opportunities in AI where everyone wins?
“I am so excited to be here today,” moderator Jeanette DePatie, senior techsplainer, writer and blockchain expert, told viewers. After all, she noted: “This is definitely the topic of the moment. Everywhere you look, we are hearing and seeing the effects of AI on our everyday life, particularly generative AI.”
Don Jones, director of strategic fraud intelligence at Comcast noted that “my role involves oftentimes looking across the unlicensed content or content protection space as well as many other areas that impact fraud or intelligence.”
DePatie’s first question for the panelists was: “Where do we think we are with AI right now? Where are we in the sort of development arc?”
“From my perspective, any kind of emerging technology always has a little bit of a wave of both introduction, adoption and then ubiquity. And, like many of the other emerging technologies that we’ve seen over the past, oh 10 years, five years even, everything’s accelerated so much,” responded Nicole Little, head of anti-piracy strategy and technology at Prime Video and Amazon Studios.
“I think we’re still on the up slope for this, so similar to augmented reality or virtual reality, we’re really reaching an area where people have a lot of awareness of the topic, but they don’t have enough awareness in detail of how it could be applied to either current uses or [a] business application,” said Little.
But she said: “Sometimes they’re trying to kind of force the technology into the space and, while it may look great at the time, it can also create some friction because then you end up having a great fallout from it. So, I don’t know that it’s at the point where the technology in and of itself kind of exists in a space where it essentially pays for itself.”
Jones agreed that “we’re at this amazing cusp … [but] it’s a little bit different than say the internet. When the internet came along, it was a foundational change, right? I mean it really was. But it’s very limited, right? It rolled out so slow and, to this day, we still have a digital divide that still needs to be addressed especially in order to take advantage of generative AI.”
He added: “I think that’s where the similarities kind of end with generative AI. Everybody that’s currently connected has access to all these tools and they’re incredibly empowering. There’s so many different things that you can do. And one of the plugs that I’ll give for a website [is] a website called There’s an AI for that. And they catalog different AI websites that can do just about everything,” from search engine optimization (SEO) content to workflows to personal assistance.”
It is, he said, an “amazing offering, and we’re just at the beginning of generative AI’s offerings.”
Because she’s a lawyer, Ghen Larayla Long, international entertainment and technology lawyer, said: “I know many people, coming from the legal end, expect me to be the Debbie Downer of all this. But, you know, it’s interesting. It’s always exciting when new technology comes out. And our laws in the United States are designed to grow with these technologies. But I think that the people who are creating AI, because AI [is] the biggest goal [and] stronger, better, faster, we need to be able to keep up with the potential implications on people’s rights, whether it be their intellectual property or their physical well being.”
Next up: Is AI replacing workers [or] working alongside workers? DePatie asked.
“The fear is there,” responded Jones. “We’re not necessarily incorrect in assuming that with any major new technology, “there’s an unknown [fear] factor and, for every unknown factor, there is fear.”
But, noting that Microsoft just launched Windows 11 and is positioning it as a co-pilot to using Windows PCs, he said: “That’s the type of methodology that I think is the more sensible approach to utilizing generative AI: Where generative AI is not the driver; it is the co-pilot. And, as an aid to people, it can be very, very beneficial and can really be an accelerator in business or in any type of work. I think there’s always going to be the risk, especially with people being people. Not everybody is a very nice person. So, there’s definitely a risk factor with every new technology, especially one as powerful as generative AI. But I think, as the industry starts adopting more of the co-pilot, I think some of those fears will subside.”
The nearly one hour-panel presentation was followed by a Q and A, and also introduced a practical framework for further exploration into the world of AI.
That exploration is scheduled to continue at the SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit 2023 on Nov. 3, with breakout tracks that promise to further deepen our understanding on each of these topics.