- Just ahead on "Black Issues Forum," we're exploring how AI is reshaping creative industries, bringing to the forefront the importance of ethical conversations being had around its use, and what it means to be a maker in a world where machines can create, design, and even dream the impossible.

Coming up next, stay with us.

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[upbeat music] ♪ [upbeat music continues] - Welcome to "Black Issues Forum."

I'm your host, Kenia Thompson.

Well, AI is evolving faster than most of us can process, and it's not just how things are changing and how we work, but how we create, connect and tell stories.

Today we're joined by visionaries who understand the importance of staying up to speed with this technology, and the changes that are being felt across industries.

I'd like to welcome to the show creator of CreativeVerse, which is a conference designed to help attendees navigate the new world of AI and understand how it will impact their industries, Mr. Elton Benjamin.

And joining him is the Events Program Coordinator for the conference, and conference planning guru, Kimberly McGee.

Welcome to the show.

- Thank you.

- Thank you so much.

- So, people are probably wondering what is this CreativeVerse?

So Elton, if you don't mind, just giving us a background of this conference, and why it came about.

- Well, again, thank you for having me this morning.

- [Kenia] Yes.

- CreativeVerse started from, I have a background in animation, design.

That's my day-to-day branding design.

And so it came from using contractors to design, using different people to help do work around me, to collaborate.

But what I began to find out is that we had a lot of creative people, but a lot of business, the business culture was seeping through the cracks, and so that's why I created CreativeVerse.

And now it has evolved into a hub for creatives, understanding and learning business development.

- Yeah.

- And also, business leaders understanding brand and marketing at a proven level and just not a speculative level.

- [Kenia] Right.

- Right.

- And a lot of the components kind of center around this AI and technology space.

How did you kind of weave that in?

And who are the attendees that attend this conference?

- First of all, attendees are anybody that's in the service area and industry, because you create something whenever, whenever.

You create the way you do business, you create a new idea.

You create a new product, just not, when we say creators, we usually think about music or art.

- [Kenia] Right.

- Or things like that.

And it started in that area of designers, photographers, content creators.

And it has evolved, just like those terms have evolved.

And so I'm trying to help people jump in front of the wave.

- Yeah.

- We had a wave of, in my industry, we had a wave of traditional design and graphic design to digital, to social.

- [Kenia] Right.

- Right?

And that next wave from brick and mortar business is digital and dashboard instead of in your face.

- Right.

- Physical, right?

- [Kenia] Yeah.

So I just wanted to try to get everybody as much as I can in front of that, and learn and jump on.

It's not the big boogey monster of AI, but it's the tool of AI.

- It can help you.

Yeah.

Kimberly, I wanna bring you into the conversation.

You have been planning conferences and events for forever.

You're just a queen at that.

You partnered with Elton for this creative adverse experience.

Talk about the design behind the sessions and the intentionality behind the topics that were chosen.

- Well, Elton brought me in, one, like he said, bringing the platform in so that a lot of people who have creativity either be planning, either be strategic logistics, 'cause that's what we do, we look at things from a logistics standpoint, is allowing us to thrive in our field and using AI as one of those tools that we've been able to thrive in by helping set design using AI.

Also with that being said, one of the things that we've been able to do is it helps us kind of, it really does allow us to expand from a social media standpoint, because now it really cuts down the time that we do as a team when we are strategizing, we're planning.

- What does that look like?

You say it cuts down the time, but what does that look like?

- Well, we are able to use AI in a way that, I mean, really does cut down my time where I'm up, where I used to be up at one o'clock in the morning like strategizing.

We're able to have like really quick meetings.

We can use ChatGPT to really help us kind of streamline our ideas.

And we're not using AI to create our ideas.

Our ideas are our own.

But we've been using that ChatGPT and other AI tools to kind of take our ideas and streamline them so that now we can really do the work.

We're not spending so much time and doing the brain dumping.

We do the brain dumping, we kind of come together, we strategize as a team.

And then we take that, streamline it, and now we can execute.

- Yeah.

So would you say that the conference is designed to kind of help people identify the areas where they can leverage AI in their jobs?

- Absolutely.

Yeah.

- Most definitely.

Most definitely.

And she spoke on time, that's the major topic of life, time.

You can't get it back.

So it behooves you not to jump on something that's gonna help you save that time.

Like, take this TV show, this show here, years ago, not even a decade ago, it would take a long time to write this out, write that out, write that out.

But if you already know that and have that experience in your brain and you just type it out to somebody, something that can process that, pulling from everywhere and simplify that for you.

Like that it isn't taking over what you're doing, it's just helping.

- It's just helping.

You know, I think one of the biggest, I guess, unknowns about AI is we don't know the impacts, right?

And some people don't know how to use it properly when it comes to employers and then when it comes to creatives.

But we've seen that it's kind of transformed industries.

When you look at the creative industries, what are some real-life examples of how AI has transformed people's experiences creatively?

- I think it has made you, from creative industries, it is made you really research and dive into what are the fundamentals and the bare bones of what it takes to make something work.

If I've, for the last five years, I've just took my camera phone and point and clicked, and clicked, and clicked.

Well, now when you prompt, put a prompt in to get a quicker result of a picture to adjust that picture, now you gotta know the correct words to use, the correct process to use.

And then when you type that in your prompt, it helps and it makes it quicker for you, right?

So when you do all of that quicker, then that puts you in front of your competition of being able to get the work done.

- Yeah, for those that may not know Kimberly, when we say prompt, right.

And when we think about search engines and we think about, 'cause AI to me sometimes feels like this like magical thing that no one knows - Absolutely right, yeah.

like how it actually, but everyone encounters AI every day.

So talk about the prompts and how everyday people use this.

- Yeah, I think people misconstrued AI is that it's doing the work for you.

You still have to do the work.

Again, it goes back to the creative.

I feel like AI really does ignite something in me in terms of my creativity.

It allows me to think a little bit more broader in my scope because I'm able to use the tool to do my search and then once I look at the data, I'm able to take that data.

For instance, I think Elton is able to serve his clients.

We're able to serve clients better because we have a broader range of access.

It's like going to the library when we were back in the 70s and 80s and you'd have to go through the encyclopedia.

- For cold hard catalogs.

- And then like that would take hours.

- Right.

- Right.

- And then, you know?

Now think about AI in that perspective, it's the same thing.

It's just a tool.

We're just not having to go up to the index and kind of search and then search a book and then do the research.

- Yeah.

- It's just taking it and streamlining it from that perspective.

- Yeah.

- Which then opens up the door for me to really dive in and create something spectacular in a way that when it's boots on the ground, we can really do something magnificent.

- Yeah.

- We can really open the door up for that.

- Yeah, you know, one thing that a lot of folks, more Black folks, minorities have been talking about is the lack of, I guess, influence of Black understanding in AI, right?

- Right.

- A lot of AI has kind of, well, when it started, kind of spit out more of a white lens and now we're having to train AI essentially.

When we think about Black professionals and Black creatives in this space, what presence have we had?

I know that you are trying to increase that presence with the creative space, but what impacts does AI have on Black professionals and our success?

- Well, I will pose that with what's happening exactly today.

Right now, right?

Manufacturing with terrorists and everything.

Manufacturing, some people look at it as attacked or some people look at it as evolving.

But we have to look at, if we go down to the bare bones everyday person as opposed to getting a picture like executive levels.

Long ago they used to, when you had manufacturing jobs and building cars and stuff like that, that was how it was made.

You wait for the auto Medtronic machine to place this here, place it there, but it was only the smarts or the people that knew how to program those machines.

And so now we are moving into a round where you have to take what is given to you and learn how to apply where you are.

- [Interviewer] Right.

- And where your future is going to go.

- Right.

- AI for Black people right now is a mention or a fear, but time in the future doesn't wait for anybody, your circumstances or your feelings.

- Right, yeah, Kimberly, would you say Black professionals are prepared to compete in this AI space?

- Yeah, I think so.

- I think they're there.

I think they may not be as visible as society has a lens for them.

I think they are there.

I think though they may not be in terms of ratio, in terms of their white counterparts.

- [Interviewer] Right.

- But this is why though Creative Verse is not specifically a ethic group, it is for all creatives.

- Indeed.

- I think Elton is the example.

Within his own presence and then his partner Omar as well.

They are the example of why it is essential, it's very essential for people of color to be part of this new frontier.

Because this is the frontier.

This is the frontier.

And we want to be ahead of the frontier.

Washington Carver was ahead of his game in his time.

This is the time for you to be ahead of your game in terms of people of color.

So, I think we are there.

- Yeah.

Would you say there's a hesitance from our folks to participate?

- [Elton] Oh, most definitely.

- I think so.

I think so.

- Why?

And yeah.

Is that any different from our counterparts though?

- I don't think it's different.

I think it's just that I'm a component for not being late.

And I think many times, thank you for bringing this up.

Many times we've showed up late to, or not showed up late, but showed up late because it's been delivered to us late and we've not been as open to jump on something because we're fearful of it and it's new.

- Yeah, go ahead.

- I'd like to add I think some, and then to add to that, I think sometimes too for our younger children, it is a lack of resources and funding when it comes to particular areas when there is a minority group of children or young adults where they may not have access to those types of avenues.

One of the things that Elton has been really specific about with CreativeVerse is giving back.

So we are gonna be doing a telethon this Sunday, and one of the things that we'll be focusing on is we raising funds so that we can get those children access to come to CreativeVerse and support those creative minds.

And get them in front of.

'Cause they're already there.

They're gamers.

- [Elton] Yeah.

- Yeah.

And I love that we're incorporating students and the youth because they are at the forefront of creativity.

I mean, when you look at our social media feeds and they are leading the game.

And to be honest, they know how to use AI.

- Right.

- They know how to use cell phones.

- But the thing is, is to prepare them for the professional future.

And so let's talk about the impact of four-year education in this space.

Is it necessary or is it just in addition to what the real life experience is?

- I think it's necessary in the point that we've had to redo... Everything that we've practiced and was raised on doing in the last 25 to 30 years has just been thrown up in the air now.

Education is different.

Being a employee is different.

The expectations of being a good employee is different.

So it's important in the way that we are going to need to prepare them... We almost have to rearrange our thinking to let them know, hey, okay, I know that this happens this way with AI, but these are the fundamentals.

You can get a client if you're a high school... We got high school people now running campaigns, marketing campaigns, social media campaigns.

So cool that you know how to do all of that stuff, but how do you handle the conversation?

How do you handle the business acclimate?

How do you talk?

How do you know how to handle conflict?

A lot of those, those are my things that I also want to teach that carries from... You may get somebody that can't do business with you this year, but the way you walk away from the table, the way you keep up with them may come back to you with $20,000 deal in the next two years.

- Yeah, yeah.

And Kimberly, you were gonna say something, but- - I was gonna mention that one of the things too, is I think with working with the youth is teaching them, like you said, the old employee thing doesn't work anymore.

It's about ownership.

And I think what we're wanting to focus on at Creative Verse is giving the youth...

These kids have grown up with technology in their hands, you know?

They know how to use the cell phone.

They use the cell phone better than we can, I think.

But I think it's giving them, like you said, Elton, giving them ownership of understanding how to walk away from a client and not hold a grudge.

How to speak, how to articulate, how to sell.

You still have to sell.

AI is not gonna sell for you.

- Number one.

- Those soft skills are still needed.

- Those soft skills are essential.

AI is not gonna sell for you.

It's not gonna get out and knock on the doors.

It's just not.

So those are the things.

Financial literacy, AI's not gonna teach you that.

- Right.

- It can teach you on paper, but it's not gonna teach you in terms of practice.

- Right.

- Right.

- Well, another thing I've noticed in the classroom, as I've taught over the years and AI has increased its presence in the classroom, is that a lot of, I'll say students, but a lot of people are using it as a crutch.

Right?

- Mm-hmm.

- So one of the topics I wanted to make sure we cover is where do we draw the line between, you know, honest, authentic content and content that has now been skewed and manipulated with AI?

Is there an ethical dilemma there that you see happening?

- Again, this is why I created [chuckles] Creative Verse.

- Right.

- Mm-hmm.

- There's always gonna be two sides to something.

It's gonna be a coin.

If you got a coin, you got a head, you got a tail, right?

So on where is great to be on this side of, okay, like you said, "Everything is okay," blah, blah, blah, but what about the other side of it?

There are already software put in place within the educational system, collegiate system, to go out and tell, detect plagiarism, and all these things.

Ethics-wise, you are always gonna, if you're a true creative, I think you're gonna wanna create, create, create, and like dissect what you're doing.

It's just like you type up something on Google, we can go look up something on Google.

This is a more direct way of doing it.

And the same way somebody can look up something bad and atrocious on Google.

- Right.

- You know?

- Yeah.

And so as we're using AI, we're, you know, identifying what we want to, what narratives we wanna create.

What are some of those rule of thumb that should govern how we use AI, Kimberly?

- I think how we should use, going back to the ethics, I think we should be very conscious of the responsibility we have using AI in all fields, the medical field, when it comes to executing plagiarism, those types of things.

I mean, plagiarism has been going on even before AI even created.

- Of course.

- I mean, you've had people been busted many, many times for plagiarism.

So I think it's just like the responsibility we have is the consciousness of, and having these conversations, having these spaces where we can have those accountability, those round table sessions.

And I'm not against setting rules and parameters.

I'm not against having a legal parameter for ramifications for breaking AI.

- Within professions, you mean?

- Within the professions, breaking AI rules.

I think just as we are allowing AI to evolve, I think we also have to get ahead of having those parameters and those rules and polices and procedures in place as well.

I think what we will see is as people are evolving, AI evolve, you'll see people start to put in components to overcome those issues as well so that we can identify things when there have been issues.

- For years now folks are afraid of what AI will take over.

When we go to the grocery store, we see self checkout.

- Right.

- We see, for my birthday we went to this restaurant where these robots guided the guests to the table.

In the creative space, a lot of folks are saying photographers, designers are kind of, I don't know if I'm gonna have a job.

What is Creative Verse doing to prepare creatives to be the solution and not be left behind?

- Number one, we're having, on our workshops on Friday morning we have a session called "Get Your Confidence Back."

- [Host] Okay.

- AI can only take away and generate what we give it.

For somebody, again, with your experience, my experience, me and my wife went to a restaurant, and it was fast food, we ordered, and you know how the first prompt is do you wanna use your coupon?

And then it goes to a live person.

The computer took our entire order, if we messed up they corrected it.

- Yeah, yeah.

- It was only until we got the drive through saw two or three people.

- So the conference though is helping, folks, Kimberly, identify what, what things, what skillsets are you guys helping identify, help identify to overcome what AI might be able to take over later?

- Like you said, the confidence, and also understanding that you still have a place in your field.

- Mm-hmm.

- One of the things as a photographer, AI is great, but there's a human connection when it comes to photography.

- Yeah.

- There's a connection to soul to soul that artificial intelligence is just, though it's there it's not gonna be able to capture.

There are things that humans, we bond with that it's just not gonna.

Artificial intelligence, though it's great and we see it in a robotic image- - Right.

- It's still not gonna remove the human connection that we all want.

- AI can't take place of this.

AI can't replace your job.

- Right, it can't do that.

It can help.

It can evolve.

- It can enhance.

- Right.

- It can enhance.

And I think too we were so used to, and I would say the west, if you've traveled abroad it's maybe a little bit different, so I don't speak globally, but I think we are so used to the westernized way of working so hard and balanced.

So I think AI's gonna give us a really rich life to live a life.

- Yeah.

- Have a rich working career, and then be able to come home, and live life, and not have to be...

If you wanna cook, cook.

- Yeah.

- But if you're able to come in, and have great meals, and AI can help manipulate those meals for you, and have it so you can have more rich time with your family, I think it's great.

- Ideal.

Real quick, 'cause we only have a few minutes.

- Yeah, yeah.

- I wanna make sure that we pop up the flyer for the conference.

Share the date, location, Red Hat is partnering, right?

- Mm-hmm.

- And then maybe highlight quickly some of the sessions that we're gonna be experiencing.

- Gotcha, thank you.

It's gonna be May 16th.

- Mm-hmm.

- May 17th.

We're taking over the city.

We've just added NC State- - Oh nice.

- To one of our locations.

- Okay.

- So Saturday, I mean Friday morning from 9-12 we'll have workshops.

Like I said, it will include getting your confidence back, financial literacy.

Friday night we're having a big meet and greet, and some big networking ordeal for everybody, the attendees and just people out in the city that wants to attend.

- Yeah.

- Saturday morning, we're going over to NC State at the James Hunt Library, and we'll be there from nine to about three o'clock.

Our keynote speaker will be Euran Daniels, very prominent-proven businessman here, and like you said, Adobe partners with us, so they wanted to make sure we did a lot of community stuff, so we reached out.

- Yeah.

- And got a lot of community.

- And you have a women's panel, right?

- We have- [overlapping speaking] First of all, we have- Who runs the world?

♪ Girls ♪ [all laughing] - [Emily] The women in tech.

- [Kenia] Yeah.

[Emily giggling] - [Emily] The women in tech have, you know, we're seeing a shift in the technology industry and the creative field, and women are really part of that conversation.

I'm super excited.

- Super.

- I wanna commend Elton and Omar for like really being partners with the women, like really being our advocates and have like just understanding that this, our voices need to be heard.

- [Kenia] To see us, the presence, yeah.

- And to see us and have us present, yeah.

- Just a minute left.

I want to share the website.

You wanna share the website with folks?

- Website is www.creativeverse.org.

You'll be, if you want to have some, you want to attend, you want to donate, or you just- - Support a student, sponsor a student?

- Support a student.

- Support a student is so essential.

- Yeah.

- Again, we're having our telethon.

- Telethon on, we're having our telethon, which is going to be live on Sunday, live on Facebook at Creative Verse Red Hat.

- Nice.

- And we shout out to Red Hat for being one of our sponsors.

That's gonna be live at six thirty, six o'clock.

- Six o'clock.

- On Sunday and- - [Kenia] This Sunday.

- Yeah, this Sunday's, it's gonna be amazing.

- [Kenia] Awesome.

Well thank you, Elton Benjamin.

- Thank you so much.

- Emily McGee.

- Thank you so much.

- [Kenia] Thank you so much.

- For having us.

- Of course, and we thank you for watching.

If you want more content like this, we invite you to engage with us on Instagram using the hashtag "black issues forum."

You can also find our full episodes on PBSNC.org/blackissuesforum, and on the PBS video app.

I'm Kenia Thompson, I'll see you next time.

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