Thanks for sharing.

Using the help of AI, I've summarised the transcript:

Themes from the Transcript:

1. Career Journey and Adaptability
Anna Dixon�s career showcases adaptability across roles in print publishing, digital media, and AI-driven content strategy.
Transitioned through industries (publishing to tech) and platforms (AOL, iHeartRadio, Wall Street Journal, Google, Shutterstock).
Foundational roles in content distribution and management, shaped by industry transitions like film-to-digital and mobile/social media adoption.

2. Passion for Content and Technology Integration
Strong advocate for merging creativity and technology to address content industry challenges.
Career built on leveraging AI and systems for content distribution, from Google�s product integrations to Shutterstock�s AI-driven tools.
Excited about combining human creativity with AI to enhance workflows and create immersive experiences.

3. AI and Ethical Practices
Worked with Google�s Responsible AI team on inclusive and ethical AI practices.
Highlights challenges like bias in AI content generation and emphasizes the importance of ethical sourcing and diversity.
Advocates for responsible AI use at Shutterstock, using licensed data for AI generators and addressing philosophical concerns about AI�s role in editorial content.

4. Industry Challenges and Evolution
Identifies key challenges:
Balancing authenticity in AI-generated content.
Navigating consumer preferences for real-feeling versus AI-driven media.
Addressing the complexity of scaling global platforms with diverse, localized, and inclusive content.
Notes the rise of influencer-driven advertising and decentralization as transformative trends.

5. Future Vision for Content Strategy
Believes in balancing data-driven insights with instinct for effective strategies.
Highlights the need for creators to maintain control over content while adapting to AI advancements.
Envisions integrated tools for creators to build and innovate immersive worlds efficiently.

6. Key Career Insights and Advice
Encourages openness, adaptability, and critical thinking as core skills for success.
Advises embracing risks and continuous learning, with an emphasis on relationship building and collaboration.
Shares personal philosophy: "If you don�t go, you can�t come back," underscoring the value of exploration and trying new opportunities.

7. AI's Transformative Role
Acknowledges AI�s growing influence in content creation, from streamlining workflows to enhancing productivity (e.g., Google AI writing over 25% of its code).
Stresses the importance of verifying AI-generated data and maintaining information literacy.
Foresees AI driving innovation in creative content hubs and immersive environments.

8. Excitement for Change and Innovation
Expresses optimism about AI�s potential to transform the content industry.
Enthusiastic about exploring new technologies and collaborating with passionate individuals to drive meaningful change.

�   Active on LinkedIn and Instagram (@AnnaGDixon) for connecting and sharing updates.

Thanks for the link and AI summary (I did not want to watch either!)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annagdickson/

I looked at prior jobs - she's been at SS less than a year - and wanted to see what her first job at Google included. She went there after a very short stint as a photo editor at the Wall St Journal.

The Google job seemed to be all about automating processes of evaluating images to cut costs (emphasis mine)

"- Scaled content creation efforts, photographing 400+ restaurants a month nationally
- Launched Visual Quality Human Eval process to monitor product health
- Scaled Curation via Human Eval, reducing cost from ~$8 per rating to ~$0.50 per rating, resulting in ~1M curated images
- Develop a framework to measure relevance & quality of content
- Partnered with PMs, Eng & UX to develop a classifier to automatically identify high quality imagery
- Developed a Local Guide Photo Contest tool and piloted a contest w. Canon Camera resulting in 22k
submissions and 267k images"

My take on this is that the career so far has had minimal connection with the well being or needs of content suppliers. It's all about managing, automating and cost cutting for the business dealing with suppliers.

http://annagdickson.com/

In describing herself - she's a "...global thought leader on the ever-changing multimedia landscape..." and has "...astute knowledge of all things content..." I'm not feeling any warm and fuzzies for the humans who produce this "content"

It's all about managing, automating and cost cutting for the business dealing with suppliers.

Job description very similar to those of Wal-Mart's buyers that squeeze their suppliers.

does it say if they will let creators upload ai content?

I only watched the first 25 minutes, but the question about Shutterstock and AI content comes at around 13:57 - she basically answers that SS does not accept AI generated content (oh really? ) One of the reasons is that they cannot be sure if the respective generator uses ethically sourced content... she also mentions issues with the editorial. Plus some people seem to be tired with their social media feeds being flooded with AI generated stuff - it looks like they prefer to wait.

Another interesting point comes at around 11:35 - an example of a bias in AI generation.

thank you!

if they are so against ai, why is their library so poisoned with clearly ai generated content? it is being flooded.

also if customers hate ai, why is it selling so well on adobe?

strange...

eta

"This will keep them afloat for a while. Like other people said some small niche companies will survive but there is no room apperently for three big companies (the market is too small)."

for me this is the most important factoid that came from this merger. Only 1.4 million subscribers over both companies in 200 countries. Apparently then a similar amount/money of single image buyers without subs.

That is a tiny, tiny market considering how big the world is.

And how big Adobe is.

The small market itself limits our sales growth.

Quote from: Yola on January 10, 2025, 13:34

Another interesting point comes at around 11:35 - an example of a bias in AI generation.

Because AI hasn't had the proper DEI training and just sees everything as just what it is?

I am absolutely against presenting Sherlock Holmes as a black lady or banning books and movies that were considered normal some 15 (and more) years ago.

But the example in the interview surprised me - the podcaster said he wanted to generate background (a shelf of a fireplace) for Christmas photos of kids from a kindergarten where his daughter was going. And he noticed that the fireplace generated by AI for white kids was more fancy than the one generated for afroamerican or hispanic kids. I will attach screenshots from the video.

If I was a kid, I would have been disappointed if I was assigned a brick fireplace without any decoration whereas my school friends from the same group got a nicely decorated ones on their photos (based on the colour of their skin, as it seems). That�s all.

Thanks for sharing this.

It's the same people who move around the in the same circles, regurgitating the same corporate speak. I wouldn't expect anything else from SS.

And what's ethically sourced AI content?

One of the reasons is that they cannot be sure if the respective generator uses ethically sourced content..

What AI generators used ethically sourced content?  Ie all learning content was pre-agreed by owners of the original images in order to train.

I cant think of a single one that meets that criteria.