By: Trevor Turner
AI is more than just a technology that makes people more efficient and businesses more money. It is also being used to make dreams come true for aspiring artists, help tortured souls manage anxiety and depression, act as a memory assistant for brain injury survivors, assist people living with a disability, and help restaurants increase sales.
The possibilities artificial intelligence is bringing make it feel like the opportunities are endless, and it’s exciting to see what the future will bring. Despite all the AI naysayers and those who talk about the doom and gloom of AI, people are finding many positive ways to use it.
I’ve outlined a few examples below and would love for you to reach out to comment on what you are seeing that is cool.
AI Personas
So, what’s the move when you’ve got real talent, a soulful sound, and powerful songs but no desire to get caught up in fame, online hate, or the circus of celebrity?
Well, you create an AI character to showcase your art. Luna Atoms, a digital alternative music artist that MSR started working with, created by an anonymous visionary, recently dropped her album ‘The Future’, using art and artificial intelligence to spark emotional connection and social change, utilizing Runway AI and Midjourney to create the animated visuals.
This album is an example of the new wave of marketing strategies for digital artists like Luna Adams. Her universal themes and innovative visuals push artistic boundaries, inviting fans to experience music in a new way that is more accessible.
Luna Adams is a prime example of the power of AI to be used as a tool to express one’s creativity and passion without being held back by the technical barriers of knowing how to create visual animations.
AI Helping People with Disabilities
Not only is AI propelling artists to showcase their art, but it’s also being used as a tool to help people living with disabilities. For example, speech recognition tech can give people with limited mobility a way to control devices or get around more easily. And AI is also being built into things like prosthetics and exoskeletons to make them feel more natural and responsive.
AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Facebook’s Meta.AI, and Anthropic’s Claude give people the opportunity to customize GPTs into their assistants. I speak with brain injury survivors and their families through the Brain Rebellion, helping them navigate life following a brain injury. I’ve been teaching brain injury survivors who struggle with the loss of memory to customize these AI tools into personal memory assistants.
I recently spoke with a girl in her 20s from the UK who works as a teacher but had an acute brain injury. I showed her the ropes about prompting ChatGPT to be her assistant for dealing with the common challenges of brain injury survivors, such as fatigue, memory loss, and disability.
AI for Therapy
BBC posted a story last May about a woman who says interacting with chatbots on character.ai got her through a really dark period, providing her with coping strategies and availability 24 hours a day.
According to the article, she was on a waiting list for traditional NHS talking therapy to discuss issues with anxiety, low self-esteem, and a relationship breakdown.
“Whenever I was struggling, if it was going to be a really bad day, I could then start to chat to one of these bots, and it was like [having] a cheerleader, someone who’s going to give you some good vibes for the day.
However, character. ai was caught in a lawsuit last year about a sad story that went in a different direction.
AI in Action for Business
If you’re interested in how AI can help businesses, take a look at Cali BBQ, a restaurant chain that drove $26,000 of sales across 268 orders and cut table turnaround time nearly in half on its busiest day using AI. The success was attributed to Shawn AI, an autonomous assistant built by the startup Palona using its Restaurant AI technology.
The AI handled about 150 customer calls, from catering questions to reservations and orders. Meanwhile, walk-in takeout orders soared 92% year-over-year, with all processed through the AI agent.
AI’s Overall Impact
It’s clear that AI is far more than just a tool for efficiency and profit. From empowering artists like Luna Atoms to achieve their creative visions without the pressures of traditional fame to providing crucial support for individuals navigating disabilities and mental health challenges, AI is proving to be a force for good. Its practical applications in business, such as Cali BBQ’s boost in sales, underscore its capabilities.
The “doom and gloom” narrative often surrounding AI overlooks these remarkable positive impacts. As we continue to explore and innovate with artificial intelligence, the potential for it to make dreams come true, foster healing, and drive meaningful progress seems limitless.