AI presents serious and daunting challenges to the media and entertainment industry, as I’ve written previously. But there are some things that AI simply can’t and never will match — things that are uniquely human, things that will become increasingly important, not less so, as AI’s disruption accelerates in a world without regulatory guardrails.
One such thing is fandom, that mystical, almost metaphysical relationship between artists and their audiences. It’s AI’s kryptonite. In its soulfulness, fandom rebelliously repels and rejects computer code replication in a world increasingly overpowered by tech. If you ever have any doubt about that, just go to Coachella or Comic-Con to see fandom in all its glory.