MMS roundtable highlights AI's transformative impact in print

Discussions on table two revolved around the role of AI in revolutionising the design and management aspects of print projects, thereby reshaping the industry landscape.

Participants highlighted how AI applications streamline design processes by automation of repetitive tasks, enhancing creativity through generative design, and optimising workflows. 

Anand Dixit of Corelelements emphasised the integration of AI into existing software systems, citing CorelDraw's recent addition of a resolution enhancement utility as an example. He underscored the significance of interpreting data based on various inputs, illustrating how this capability can serve multiple vendors and accommodate different substrates effectively.

Parmeshwar Patidar of Indas Analytics underscored the potential of AI, particularly for customer service and design enhancement. He emphasised the significance of training AI models to leverage its suggestions which can facilitate various tasks such as marketing, customer emails, etc.

He said, "There should be continuous learning while using technology. To fully harness the benefits of AI, one must engage in the process of improving prompts and strategies." Talking about the evolving nature of AI, Patidar said, "These days, AI possesses a sense of conscience."

Dixit said, "AI contributes to reducing the productivity time of teams while it is crucial to identify problems to find effective solutions".

Yuvaan Shah of Onlooker Press highlighted the prevalence of AI integration in modern machines, indicating a trend towards built-in AI functionality. Adding to that, Dharam Mentor of Design Horse Mentor spoke of the necessity for each printer to recognise their pain points, advocating for AI to tailor solutions accordingly.

Amit Shah of Spectrum Scan outlined a comprehensive list of 15 AI applications designed to assist and support individuals across various tasks, emphasising how AI is readily available for daily activities. 

Next, Iqbal Kherodawala of Printline Reproductions raised the question to the group about whether AI has the capability to self-train and whether this might lead to it encountering problems it hasn't yet solved. In response to Kherodawala's inquiry, Mentor and Patidar delved into the mechanics of AI, explaining that it functions primarily through pattern recognition and machine learning models (LMM).

They expanded on the idea by introducing Artificial Generative Intelligence (AGI), which is an advanced form of AI capable of not only recognising patterns but also generating new ideas and solutions.

Patidar said, "AGI represents a step forward in AI development, and can potentially address such challenges by enabling machines to exhibit more human-like cognitive abilities."

Dharam Mentor and Shah also discussed the concept of disruptive designs introduced by platforms like Midjourney and others, indicating the impact of AI on design innovation. The group agreed that though AI interpretation might not be flawless currently, creativity remains a subjective aspect that cannot be fully replicated by AI.

Kherodawala initiated a discussion on the trustworthiness of AI in the years to come, expressing concerns about its omnipresence and potential threats to security. Discussing the broader perspective, a notion of leveraging AI as a centralised repository for the print community, where diverse experiences can be shared as datasets. These datasets could then be utilised to enhance AI models, ultimately improving their ability to generate desired outputs. 

However, it's crucial to recognise that this vision is still far from realisation and comes with numerous challenges that need to be addressed along the way. Despite the hurdles, this concept holds the potential to revolutionise the print industry by harnessing collective knowledge and expertise through AI-driven solutions.