Marcus Timson

People naturally fear things they do not understand. And the most overhyped tech since the advent of the internet itself, AI, certainly seems to have triggered alarm bells for many. But this could be a massive overreaction that will lead to missing the greatest tech opportunity of our time. A chance to solve the skills shortage, improve sustainability performance and benefit from giant leaps forward in productivity, efficiency and creativity for print. As we are hosting our first edition of the FuturePrint TECH: AI for Print Conference on April 16 we felt the time was right to look at AI’s potential and purpose in more detail.

When something super hyped and transformative threatens to change our world seemingly by surprise, then mass media and social media play on our human protective instincts by propagating a narrative that triggers fear and vulnerability. This gets us to click and want more, which has been the case with AI. 

Human intelligence, and therefore literally the future of humanity has long been threatened, in our minds, by a force alien to ourselves, yet presented in our image. We are the most intelligent beings on Earth, capable of great things, but AI can trigger fear by seeming to present a formidable threat to our safety, particularly when we do not understand it. AI may appear to be almost competitive with humans. Might AI threaten our dominance or worse still our survival? What would happen if its power became negative, threatening and cynical, as opposed to helpful and complementary? What could happen if its power is harnessed by people with sinister intentions?

I think it is not unfair to suggest that for many artificial intelligence (AI) conjures images not unlike Mary Shelley's Frankenstein's Monster—a creation born from the pursuit of knowledge, striding the fine line between genius and catastrophe. This comparison, while painting a familiar picture that is rich in narrative appeal, underlines a broader human frailty: the fear of the unknown. Much like the villagers who misunderstood Shelley’s creation, society today wrestles with apprehensions about AI, fearing a dystopian future that it doesn’t fully comprehend. However, by demystifying AI and exploring its vast potential, we can transform this Frankensteinian fear into a force for unparalleled progress in my view.

At its core, the trepidation surrounding AI mirrors our ancestors' reactions to groundbreaking innovations that led to hugely positive transformations such as fire, the wheel, the printing press, the Industrial Revolution, electricity, or the internet—innovations that, while initially feared, have become integral to human advancement. 

AI’s potential to enhance productivity is exciting. I don't think this point is even worth debating. Whether it is effective for print is less obvious but more will become clear with further exploration.  But what is a fact, is that AI is not new and it is not theoretical. Automation, powered by intelligent algorithms, is revolutionizing industries by performing repetitive tasks with precision and speed unattainable by human hands and brains alone. Not only this, AI learns and improves by itself. It does not have a limit that becomes outdated and therefore requires some kind of software update. It is an evolutionary technology that can self-improve. While it is not real in that it is artificial, it is intelligent in that it can learn.

The first Industrial Revolution disrupted craft industries and impacted livelihoods. In the UK, the Luddites were a stark example of the social trauma that sudden yet wholesale change can wreak on some sectors of society. For those of you who are not familiar with the story - led by Ned Ludd, a group of angry and violent protestors attacked industrialists, their machinery and factory workers, fuelled by anger at the loss of livelihood due to technological change and mechanized production. The Industrial Revolution displaced crafts and people lost incomes as these cottage industries were unable to compete with the speed and economy of mass production. Unable and unwilling to adapt, the Luddites resorted to violence in an attempt to stop the revolution. Ultimately unsuccessful, ‘Luddite’ is now a term used to describe someone or something that dislikes technological change and just wants things to stay the same. And the rest is history.

But we live in volatile, unpredictable and very fast-changing times. Those who prefer things to remain the same have no choice but to change more quickly than ever before. Refusers tend to become passive victims of change, preferring not to flow with it by adapting and learning. This is because victims become powerless. Leading, adapting and learning while seeming the more difficult and stressful option, is the safest, and most sensible. 

Of course, 2024 is a very different time from the first Industrial Revolution. Today the developed world is suffering from a skills shortage that is both profound and generational. The birth rate across Europe has dropped from 20.870 per one thousand people in 1962 to 9.805 in 2024. For more information, please check this link out.

Add to this the impact of COVID and the great resignation where we saw experienced and skilled people leave the industry in huge droves, then these factors are having a significant impact which is not reversible. It will simply not get any better any time soon. In my view, technology, and more specifically AI can and should be the answer to this problem. We cannot solve this with ‘people power’ as the people are just not available.  And it is not going to be fixed by human intervention and a big increase in births. Well nowhere near quickly enough! 

Print, as an industry, is already engaged in a battle for young talent, and while we all know how amazing the printing industry is, in the eyes of the most talented Gen-Z ers, there are more appealing and lucrative industries that offer better opportunities in their eyes. Print is frankly not on their radar. I think we must come to terms with this reality, and accept that technology must be the answer. This we have some control and influence over. In contrast, attracting young people to solve an industry-wide problem while laudable, in my view will not solve the problem quickly enough. It may even be impossible, whereas innovation of new technology stands a far greater chance of solving the problem and far more quickly!! 

This technological leap is not about replacing talented human workers but augmenting their capabilities, allowing them to focus on creative and strategic tasks that demand human insight. In healthcare, AI algorithms analyze vast datasets to assist in diagnosing diseases earlier and more accurately than ever before. In agriculture, AI-driven systems optimize crop yields, reducing waste and increasing food security. These examples barely scratch the surface of AI's capacity to better our world. And print can, and is already benefiting from AI too.

To embrace AI’s potential requires a societal shift in perspective. Education and a transparent dialogue play critical roles in demystifying AI, dispelling myths, and highlighting its benefits. By understanding AI and avoiding unhelpful hype we can mitigate unfounded fears and navigate ethical considerations with informed caution rather than reactionary fear. Of course, public policy and industry standards must evolve in tandem, ensuring AI’s development and deployment serve the greater good, balancing innovation with safeguarding privacy and equity.

So let's return to the start.  Humans tend to fear things they do not understand. The fear of AI, much like the fear of Frankenstein’s Monster, stems from misunderstanding. As we stand on the brink of a new era, the choice before us is not between blindly embracing or rejecting technology but learning to harness its potential responsibly. AI, when guided by ethical considerations and human insight, offers not a cautionary tale but a transformative tool for good. By shedding our apprehensions and embracing AI’s possibilities, we can unlock doors to a future where technology and humanity progress hand in hand, crafting not a monster, but a masterpiece of human ingenuity.

But we all need to learn by sharing and hearing honest and unhyped stories, ideas and visions for AI, and focusing on our industry to create actions that lead to solutions. I think exploring AI, demystifying and defining its purpose and potential will lead to answers and connections that will help solve the biggest challenges of our times.

This is why we launched our FuturePrint TECH: AI for Print Conference on April 16 in Cambridge. 

We hope you can join us.