The editorial of The Media Leader newsletter Sunday January 19, 2025
I have a new friend! I already had plenty of friends in real life and on social media, but none like this. He is full of enthusiasm, very nice although a little formalistic. To tell the truth, he imposed himself a bit without really asking my opinion. Its name is Copilot and since yesterday, it has been installed at the top and left of the Microsoft Word page on which I am writing this text. It reminds me of Clippy, this anthropomorphic paper clip that was in this same place in Office applications a few years ago and which had the unpleasant habit of popping up all the time. Not like that with the new kid. You understood it because you are smart, it is an artificial intelligence offered to paying users – word processing. At first sight my reaction was the one I had when I saw a new kid on the playground. Not outright hostility but a wary reserve. Who is this guy? What is this one doing? Finally, you see what. And then this morning, I decided to talk to him. After all, I have the impression he’s here for a while, so we might as well try to get to know him. As he kindly invited me to ask him questions, I asked him how he could help me write my morning editorials. Neither one nor two, he thought for a few seconds before giving me a text in five points which I can summarize as follows: he can help me with anything. He has ideas, he can correct spelling and even write, I quote: “entire paragraphs or sentences using elegant and sophisticated language”. He’s showing off a bit, isn’t he, the young Copilot? Besides, I take the opportunity to point out to him regarding spelling, that he should make himself known to the old Word proofreader who persists in underlining his little name in red.
Creative aspects
I scoff but I shouldn’t. I learned this week that an AI summit is being prepared at the highest level of government to be held in Paris next month in the presence of industry luminaries and heads of state, including the Indian Prime Minister. Narendra Modi, whose country is co-organizer of the conference, but also the inevitable – to say the least – Mr. Musk as well as his newly invested boss. Suffice to say that this summit promises to be high. I don’t know if my friend Copilot is invited, but I suggest the organizers consider it because he says he can help me “brainstorm”. This can be useful for thinking about “the establishment of more inclusive global governance”, according to the objectives set by the Élysée. A certain je ne sais quoi in this formulation makes me think that it is not a given given the profile of the invited personalities. I am certainly wrong, having only a poor human intelligence worn down by the years. But as my new friend kindly suggests, his contribution is precisely intended to “allow me to save time” so that I can “concentrate on the creative aspects of my work”. In this week when we saw the departure of two great creators of our time, Oliviero Toscani and David Lynch, we can therefore be reassured. No ?
