Trust, Media + Mickey

I often think of media as art, as something that is higher up on the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. I’ll have time for art when I have enough money and food to sustain myself. 

This isn’t entirely off base, as the advent of great art movements like the renaissance began because suddenly individuals had a surplus of wealth and time to become patrons of the arts. 

But media companies have come to be more than just art in the leisurely sense. They’ve become news, entertainment and the digital market place. We’ve seen power players buy up media corporations for years now, but it’s fascinating what is happening with some of the conglomerates and the cross section with AI. 

I suppose because so much of US economy, and the world economy is derived from the AI market it makes sense. But is this where hopes for innovation turns into real indicators for trouble? 

When I was in college, I wanted to be a journalist. That was until my professors described the layoffs occurring at the NYT and the reporters that were getting killed in faraway lands. But I loved the work. The dedication to the question - what is truth and objectivity in the world of many perspectives?

One of our textbooks described a fallen democracy. It depicted a woman trying to make decisions for her family in wartime conditions, but since she couldn’t trust the information provided to her by the government, she was unable to gain her footing. What is my reality?

From the Gen Z perspective, this question can be applied in across many of our institutions and leaders. Can I trust CEOs, Presidents, Doctors, Influencers? Can I trust that a video is even real? I’ve been told if I just work hard enough I can buy a home, but is that true?

As streaming services, news outlets and social media platforms consolidate in the hands of the powerful and the zone is flooded by voices, what information can I distill to make choices about my life? 

The question drives home this idea that entertainment may not be the fluff at all. If the stories that are not inherently trying to tell us what to think, but make us think, are all that’s left. Is our reality in the hands to these creatives?

Last night my family went to the SF Symphony and watched a Rom-Com from 2008, The Holiday. In the movie, you have so much trust that things will work out. That the intent behind the lines is to elicit laughter, that there isn’t some kind of propaganda. 

On the other side of this coin, how will partnerships like the one between Disney and OpenAI lead to new opportunities or fan content? How will this improve the entertainment experience and allow creators who previously had no access to the film world to generate art. 

Or is this a defensive strategy entirely? A “if you can’t beat em join em” classic? 

And will the consumer want to view AI generated content. The AI videos of cutting glass fruit or jumping into a bed make of cinnamon rolls aren’t unpleasant to watch, but a AI podcast or leading character seems too uncanny valley for my liking. 

I suppose the final question - is there a way of running value this fast without collapsing principles?