Artificial Intelligence will soon be producing print files: three reasons why this could be a problem
AI generated files are coming
Want to write a university-level essay? Create an image in the style of a well-known artist? Or create a piece of content? Artificial Intelligence is already carrying out these tasks on a regular basis. Content writers, artists and designers will soon be at threat from this new software.
For printers, that means some content that you are printing has probably already been generated by AI. And it won’t be long until AI is creating “print ready” files.
That creates potential problems
In a previous article I demonstrated that much of the printing industry isn’t even thinking about the effects of AI yet. But this software will soon potentially be affecting many areas of operation for the average printing company.
If you do not start to consider the effects of Artificial Intelligence soon then this new generation of artwork could start to present some significant challenges for you. Here are three things you should be thinking about right now:
AI doesn’t (yet) create print ready files
At the moment that means that you must be educating clients who are considering using AI generated content that their marvellous new software doesn’t (yet) do everything they want it to. They are still going to have to think about image resolution, colour separation and bleeds and trims.
I’m sure that there will soon be file generation software that will handle all these issues in conjunction with AI software. It is time to think about your software roadmap and how you start to manage AI generated files when the trickle turns to a flood.
However, AI also creates another major headache.
Current copyright laws don’t really deal with AI generated content
There is no guarantee that AI generated copy is correct or legal. It may quote sources which are not copyright free. And artists may start claiming that their style has been used without their permission.
In the UK, there is responsibility on the printer to ensure that what they print does not break any copyright laws. The average terms and conditions of a printer that pass this responsibility back to the client may not stand up in court. Are you ready to check what is supplied more thoroughly or update your terms and conditions?
If you have a copywriting or design service, will you be using AI in your workflow? Will this open you up to legal action?
Finally, there is a cultural issue with AI.
Will AI start placing print jobs?
AI already makes recommendations in all sorts of areas. Many people are using AI as a more intelligent search engine. How are you going to be at the top of the picks when customers start relying on AI to start making sourcing choices?
AI offers huge opportunities
It can hugely simplify your workflow. It will be able to generate print ready files which means that you are less likely to receive unusable files. Potentially, it makes sourcing print much easier for the buyers.
However, the printing industry needs to be aware of both the opportunities and the challenges. What are you doing to keep up to speed with how artificial intelligence might affect your business?
