The question of our time is, undoubtedly, what are the uses and limits of AI? Specifically in the creative fields, the debate has raged intensely about whether AI is replacing or empowering artists. Arash Rod, the lead artist at ON Platform, knows the answer is in the middle. AI is changing the role of a digital artist, but it is also a tool to improve the field without being able to replace a key human element in these projects.
Arash is a digital artist who works with teams from the major sports leagues of North America to build a mascot with a digital identity and personality and create chatbots for a team’s websites to better interact with fans and visitors. These jobs have put him on the frontline of the AI debate and given him insight into this vital issue.
What has still stayed relevant and highly valued is the human emotion behind these chatbots or other digital characters that are being developed. You can code them to answer a set of questions or have them direct visitors to the sales portion of the website. Still, without understanding what sports mean to these cities and what these teams mean to the cities, these chatbots and digital mascots won’t be nearly as engaging or effective in what they’re trying to achieve. Arash says, “The brand has an identity, history, and culture that have been respected by the fans, and the best way to honor that is through the creative execution that needs an artist to make it happen.”
Take the project that he worked on, AMO, the mascot for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club, part of the USL. They have an extremely dedicated fan base, including the Steel Army, which is an independently run organization that occupies a part of the stadium and cheers on their team at every home game. The name “AMO” was created as an homage to the three rivers that meet in downtown Pittsburgh: the Allegheny River, the Monongahela River, and the Ohio River. Creating this distinct name is a direct result of knowing what is essential to the identity of the citizens and the city itself.
Designing the chatbot is the next step of engagement after creating a mascot. This requires a significant amount of technical knowledge and is part of the process where using AI can be extremely useful. There are 9 different functions available after first clicking on the AMO button when you go to the Riverhounds website. Each of these functions has a web of responses and further information that must be compiled and coded. Collecting data on which questions are most asked by fans and then coding them to respond quickly and accurately is something that AI excels at. Especially when it’s data changing, such as scheduling changes, ticket price changes, or special events being held. All of these can be easily managed by using AI.
Other aspects of the chatbot function require human creativity. Some of the functions available, like “Videos” or “Latest News,” require knowledge of the team and the fans, which AI simply can’t process. Pittsburgh’s nickname is the “Steel City,” and with all of their sports teams, there is a city-wide pride in their teams being considered tough. Knowing this information is important in deciding something like what highlights to show on the website, like a player showing his toughness on the field, or something similar that resonates with the ethos of the city and the fans.
As Arash Rod states, “Now we can be open to new ideas that we did not know could be possible time wise and budget wise, and now we can try other possibilities to get our ideas done..” (sic). The boom in AI development has brought about rapid change in many fields, opening new possibilities and stoking fears about processes will change. Those who feel comfortable navigating these problems and harnessing them to their advantage will be the leaders in their respective fields going forward. Using responsibly can revolutionize how quickly projects are completed and what is capable.
Featured image credit: note thanun/Unsplash
