"Augmented editor" back from Annecy Web 2023
Annecy Web took place on June 1 in the town of the same name. Attracted by the scenery and the desire to discover a little more about the region's ecosystem, I went along for the day's well-balanced program. The conferences were multi-themed and the speakers, I must say, quite well chosen. But that's putting it mildly.
For my part, I was particularly drawn to Baptiste Guiraud's talk entitled "AI: Will humans lose their feathers?. It may have been a racy title... but it worked! I sat not far from the stage so as not to miss a crumb. Although I have to admit that my note-taking moments forced me to relax my attention a little.
"AI: Will humans lose their feathers?
Baptiste Guiraud speaking at Annecy Web on June 1, 2023.
The program promises a demystification of artificial intelligence and methods for optimizing productivity without jeopardizing one's own creativity. Now that's a very appealing presentation. Saving time, yes, but losing quality? no! Once again, it all depends on what you call "quality". For us editors, it's often a question of trying not to tell too much nonsense while composing content that's attractive enough to keep the reader until the end. I admit it's never an easy task.
Baptiste Guiraud begins with a presentation of what AI is in our context: a tool that will understand what it is told to solve problems, and equipped with a learning capability. Connecting OpenAI with plug-ins is something I'd very much like to explore. Baptiste Guiraud insists that you have to be as demanding with an AI as you are with an editor. On the one hand, it's out of the question to be tolerant with it because of a few mistakes and approximations that we would have immediately rejected if a human had delivered the content to us. On the other hand, AI is a tool over which we have to take control:
Never ask questions, but give instructions,
Don't let him take the initiative.
Direct the AI as far as possible towards the desired result.
Never settle for an average answer.
I would even add: have no tolerance for mediocrity.
Annecy Web, going back is a good idea
I'm not shy in saying that I'll be happy to return to Annecy Web, so much so that the organization provided every possible comfort for participants. There was never an ounce of stress over logistics, catering, and so on. Of course, nothing is perfect and every project can be improved. However, I must confess that anything I might list internally is just nitpicking.
