Technologies like large language model generative software will advance faster than governments or other bodies can find ways to control or regulate them. Their potential for adverse consequences is well recognized.
The Human Hand Project is a positive alternative strategy for meeting the challenges that large language model generative programs represent.
Human Hand certification is a way to inform consumers, preserve and protect the human creative process, the viability of content creation as an enterprise and the magic of humanity.
Distinguish, Support and Preserve the Value of
the Creative Process
Dreams
You may have something you want to express, an idea, an image, a musical phrase, a movement. It takes work to get it right. Sometimes a lot of work. When it succeeds it is immensely gratifying, not just to you but to all whose see, experience or hear it. How do you prevent your freedom to create from being co-opted by a more efficient, targeted, cheaper process?
Whatever your story is, the way you tell it can make all the difference. If you prompt a machine to tell the story is it really your story. Is that what a story is at all?
Who We Are
Human Hand was founded by Steve Levitan, media lawyer, film and television producer, authour and university instructor with input from industry leaders.
It will be guided by an advisory board representing the broad cross section of the various fields of creative endeavour that may use or benefit from the Human Hand status.
Humanity.
Its one thing to replace physical labour with machine labour. Its another thing entirely to replace story, emotion, drama, conflict, aesthetics and music with computer programs.
Devoting your attention to human creations connects you with humanity. Devoting your attention to computer generated content connects you with what?
The Consumer
Consumers of any kind of content, whether its an oil painting or a virtual reality game just want to enjoy the experience. They simply want to feel someting, come away pleased with how they spent their time and satisfied with the investment of their invaluable attention.
Human Hand simply aims to give people an easy reliable means of discerning what is organically human and what is not.
To those who care, a recognizable distinguishing symbol is really important. They may actually be prepared to pay a higher price for “organic” content than computer generated content.
Technology
From the beginnings of time, humans have employed technology to make work easier - to separate intelligence or effort from consciousness. That has worked very well in many respects. It has also created many unintended harmful side effects: disease, weapons of mass destruction, and climate change to name a few.
Progress
The Human Hand project is fully supportive of technological progress. It fully encourages creators to employ the best avaliable tools to create their works. It is not about curtailing, controlling, regulating or banning generative software.
Instead, Human Hand is about carving out a protective and distinctive space in the content marketplace for creators who prefer to use their own generative talents to be recognized easily by consumers.
The Certification Mark
An application has been filed to give the words Human Hand and the logo legal status as certification marks. This means that no one may use or appropriate them without accreditation, approval or consent of the Human Hand Project. Once its application is officially approved the Human Hand marks will be protected through most of the world.
How Human Hand Will Work
There will be two phases.
Phase 1 is the registration process. Any human may join. For free. All they need is authentication as a person. We will employ the simplest reliable forms of authentication.
Phase 2 will be certification of actual works. Once the critical mass of 10,000 registrants is acheived the Human Hand Project will accept applications from registered members to accredit their works.
The application process will involve specially designed forms applicable to each major genre designed to reveal whether, and to what extent generative software (or future technological tools) have been used to create the key elements of the work. All rules and criteria will be published on the Human Hand site and fully available to the general public. Once a work has satisfied the criteria it will be permitted to display the Human Hand mark, the words Human Hand and, (if the work is audio only) the distinctive Human Hand sound mark for all the world to see.
Ultimately we expect the mark to appear everywhere and on anything that humans share their visions.