Increasing one’s human capital has always been a sure shot way to secure a stable job. The news from the West is always rife with resentment towards highly-skilled immigrants who seem to be taking jobs from the locals. There is now a new form of competition, one that even a Republican President might not be able to avert – it’s called AI, and it’s coming to a job market near you, soon.
Last year, 7,000 employees at Walmart lost their jobs after they were replaced by artificial intelligence powered technology. Runway models may have thought their jobs were safe, until Dolce and Gabbana embraced technology, and sent drones down the runway for their Fall/Winter 2018 fashion show in Milan, Italy.
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The drones were carrying chic D&G handbags as they flew down the runway, showing off the pieces, and then gracefully exiting, as smoothly as they had entered. There were no glitches, just amusement and awe from the audience. We think models might be planning their revenge by becoming drone operators for the next fashion week.
Drones also made a spectacular appearance at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Over 1,200 drones set a new record, as they flew in sync, swirling to create an Olympic-themed, animated lightshow where a larger-than-life snowboarder formed overhead, and the Olympic rings illuminated the night sky.
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Intel’s Shooting Star platform is behind these record-breaking drone performances.
Anil Nanduri, general manager of Intel’s drone group, calls these shows “technology meeting art”.
Natalie Cheung, Intel’s general manager of drone light shows, states that in order to create a lifelike version of the snowboarder, their animation team used a photo of a real snowboarder, in action, to get the perfect silhouette in the sky.
Animators use 3-D design software to draw up the show, where each individual drone gets assigned to act as an ‘aerial’ pixel, taking up their places in the 3-D image, and filling it in against the night sky.
Intel’s Shooting Star drones maybe be entertaining audiences for now, but they have the potential to become a fleet of fully programmable quadcopters, performing search and recuse operations in the near future.
From runway models, to extravagant lightshow performers, to eventually saving lives – drones are here to stay, and are leaving an indelible mark on our lives, our labor markets, and our imaginations.
By: Haniya Mansoor
Image source: D&G
