ChatGPT as a darkroom tool

[benderscameracorner]

Personally I enjoy my darkroom time too much to spoil it by bringing in unnecessary technology Having the Massive Dev timer on my phone is about as far as I need to go.

You understand that there are free AI models in which the adage "the advice given is worth exactly what you paid for it" is very true; and commercial subscription based models which are increasingly being used at a professional level in many fields?

I know personally that some being used in engineering design are very good indeed, when driven by a qualified person in the field.

This is very true. In our engineering firm we have a corporate account (required to keep our IP private and track everything) and there's a significant difference in the, well shall we say competency of the paid business version, versus a free account. I've used the latter to verify some fairly middling electrical engineering calcs and its inability to get basic technical math correct reliably is a worry. I always love the response "oh, you're absolutely correct..." when you respond to its previous answer with a correction. Thanks buddy...

Lack of access to copyrighted Standards really does limit its usefulness, admittedly.

Credit where credit due, it is somewhat decent at coming up with complex or lengthy Excel tables. This summer I'm hoping to code a basic iPhone app with its help... that'll be an interesting test.

 

[MattKing]

I muse about this while thinking about much earlier experiences trying to bring newer technology to bear on older challenges - in particular my early efforts while reasonably successfully partially automating some custom legal document generation for my business use.
Colouring that musing is some of my marveling at being at the discussion ringside during some of the backroom discussions about how Photrio keeps running.
And the available, extremely computer nerdiness of some of the AI tools that are clearly simplifying and refining that process make it clear that those tools, when employed by knowledgeable hands - not mine - present great possibilities for huge improvements.
So I'm keen to see what those who have those knowledgeable hands might do with the melding of the creative and the logical/objective that my favourite avocation - photography - presents.
It reminds me at least slightly about what Ansel Adams et al tried to do with the Zone System.
That and some of the early technology like preview monitors and auto colour balance in the photofinishing world.
I think it is a mistake though to look at the sort of "replacement for an encyclopedia" applications of AI as being what we should expect of it.

 

[loccdor]

You understand that there are free AI models in which the adage "the advice given is worth exactly what you paid for it" is very true; and commercial subscription based models which are increasingly being used at a professional level in many fields?

I know personally that some being used in engineering design are very good indeed, when driven by a qualified person in the field.

Yes, and the one which gave me a false traffic ticket was doubtless in that suite of professional products. So is the one which replaced the human in the customer service situation and made it impossible to talk to someone to get that erroneous charge resolved. So is the product that flags my wife's college coursework as AI-generated: all professional, paid-for products.

In the original post I stated about 5% of uses are very positive, I think that's what we're talking about with your second sentence. I never denied that there is some successful application of AI.

 

[koraks]

People, the thread is about AI and its application in darkroom work. There are plenty of places to have a critical discussion on other applications and other technical & ethical issues; feel free to make a thread in e.g. the Lounge.

 

[xkaes]

It reminds me at least slightly about what Ansel Adams et al tried to do with the Zone System.

OMG, AI and the Zone system. The latter is confusing enough for most people without throwing AI into the mix. Talk about an opportunity for hallucinations!

Then throw in a good dose of darkroom practices? That's enough to put anyone in the Funny Farm.

 

[warden]

OMG, AI and the Zone system. The latter is confusing enough for most people without throwing AI into the mix.

Well you could always have AI deliver its advice in a rare endangered language to complete the trifecta. Tanema, for instance.