Why have so many AI tools adopted the Sparkles emoji?
With all the controversy around AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more →, it is no surprise developers are trying to make it less scary and more palatable.
TL;DR
Sparkles have whimsy. Magic as a metaphor for AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → makes sense. And both are less scary than killer Skynet robots and mass-scale copyright extraction.
Likely you have seen the animated Meta AI circle-turns-into-infinity-symbol show up in Facebook (or Instagram or Messenger or WhatsApp) by now. Starting at the end of last week, Meta has been across their platforms. If you have explored the AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → chatbot, you might have noticed the Quick Reaction emoji when chatting to Meta AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → is the Sparkles emjoi.
That may not seem like a big deal – especially given all the other weirdness since the rollout and the fact – but it continues an ongoing trend of using diamond star shapes in association with AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more →. Google, Samsung, Adobe and more all include sparkles, to a greater or lesser extent. Here’s some examples I pulled together.
They’re all over lots of AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools. They feature prominently in logos and wordmarks for some services, and more subtly across UI (user interface) elements such as icons, buttons and other graphics. Like the association of the plus symbol (+) with streaming services – ⟨ Go on, list them! Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, MGM+, Discovery+, AMC+, 7+ and more!⟩ – sparkles have become a common visual element in many AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools. But there’s more to their use of the diamond star shapes than fun and whimsy. The Sparkles emoji is often associated with magic, and these AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → developers are intentionally using magic as a metaphor.
In my opinion, there are a number of reasons for this:
- Concerns about killer robots – From 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000 to the entire Terminator franchise, science fiction and popular culture have positioned humans against killer robots run by AIs. Its a great trope, but one that has also left a lasting impression on a lot of people. Now, as AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools emerge from the tech fringes, the companies behind these AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools are working hard to break free of the genre’s lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs) associations.
- Artists copyright anxieties – AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → is data hungry. So hungry in fact that there are on the public internet to feed into AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → systems. Of course, it begs the question where content up to now (and in the future) comes from? And who owns it? While it remains complicated to determine exactly how, when and where copyright infringement occurs across the AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → lifecycle, there is no question that copyright material not owned by the technology companies building AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools has been used in the training data. Couple with this the lack of transparency around what material has actually been used for training purposes and you can understand what creators are concerned. ⟨ Interestingly, when you look at the early court decisions in a number of recent copyright matters related to AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → claims that the models are infringements themselves and that any output generated by them is an infringement are being dismissed. It seems largely what is surviving is infringement at the training data stage. But I feel that’s a separate blog post.⟩
- Bias & other bullshit – On top of the copyright concerns segments of the public are rightly concerned about a swath of other issues bundled into AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more →. Biases in training data, the potential for large-scale displacement of jobs, secrecy, a lack of transparency, surveillance, facial recognition, AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → exacerbating inequalities, automated decision-making systems (ADMS) and shift of the ‘locale’ of decisions to AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → (especially where decisions impact people’s lives) and just a few of the concerns. Naturally, there is a lot of concern and controversy about AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools. And each of these feed into larger existential crises around AI.
- AI’s promise & possibility – On the flipside, AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → is cutting-edge technology full of promises and new possibilities. Advocates and evangelists may overstate the benefits, but it is true that AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → can contribute positively to society. It can increase productivity , it is as good if not better at diagnosing diseases , it can analyse data and identify patterns more quickly than humans , and myriad other things. ⟨ It is certainly much better than me at creating images of cats!⟩ The graph below by the McKinsey Global Institute plots the potential value AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → will add to a range of industries, shown in billions of (presumably US) dollars. Industries include aerospace and defence, telecommunications, insurance, consumer packaged goods, healthcare systems and services and retail.
- Making magic – For those who are new to these tools, they can seem almost magical. They ⟨ seemingly!⟩ create something from nothing and are able to do things that once seemed impossible. And they can do things much quicker than we can. This is not surprising though; as the last of Arthur C. Clarke’s three laws says, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Given there are both positive and negative perceptions of AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more →, it is not surprising that developers of AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools are leaning in to the more positive associations. Using the Sparkle emoji extends all the wonder and excitement tied to the emoji to AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tech. It adds playfulness and lightheartedness to the tools, making AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → feel more approachable. Sparkles are also associated with magic – which leverages the existing touch of magic AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → enjoys.
It turns out I am not the only one who has had this thought. andboth explored the phenomena, andand Daley Wilhelm used Medium to dig into the history of the association between Sparkles and AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more →. Still, it seems obvious to me that the presence of sparkles in AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools is an intentional indicator that ‘the magic of AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → is just a click away’.
Concluding comments
The use of diamond star shapes in association with AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → is an increasingly common trend among tech companies putting out AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools. Meta, Google, Samsung, Adobe, Open AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → and more have used version of the Sparkles emoji shapes in their offerings. The association is intentional and serves to evoke the magic and wonder of AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more →. This is not surprising given AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → is up against the well entrenched ‘killer AI’ genre and anxieties and attacks on AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → from different parts of society. It is unsurprising that AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → developers are keen to tell a different story.
⟨ PS extra points will be given if you get the reference in the title!⟩
Disclosure
AI use
This blog post was drafted using Google Docs. This blog post was not drafted using AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more →, but parts of it are adapted from and incorporate outputs generated by Google Gemini (using both gemini.google.com and the ‘Help me write’ Gemini feature in Google Docs). Prompt: ‘Reasons AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → cannot shake the killer robot genre’. Where AI-generated text has been incorporated it was not used in verbatim and was heavily adapted by me.
The banner image (i.e. the first image at the top of the blog post) was generated by AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → using Text to Vector Graphic (BetaBeta is an early release of software or some other product or service to see how users use it to inform further development of it…. Learn more →) in Adobe Illustrator.
Useful link
How ✨ became the unofficial AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → emoji
Michelle Cheng – Friday 1 December 2023
Quartz
How the sparkles emoji took over AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more →
Shubham Agarwal – Saturday 17 February 2024
Fast Company
The Unstoppable Rise of Spark ✨, as Ai’s Iconic Symbol
Rishi Shah – Saturday 11 March 2023
Bootcamp, Medium
Why I was wrong about sparkles ✨
Daley Wilhelm – Friday 19 January 2024
UX Collective, Medium
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Credits
In order of appearance:
- Image: Four diamond stars (with four points). An adaptation of an image generated by AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → by Elliott Bledsoe using Text to Vector Graphic (BetaBeta is an early release of software or some other product or service to see how users use it to inform further development of it…. Learn more →) in Adobe Illustrator. Prompt: ‘Diamond stars four points hand-drawn’.
- Emoji: Google, ‘u2728 · Sparkles’, 2023 [animated emoji]. Original available on GitHub, https://googlefonts.github.io/noto-emoji-animation/. Licensed for reuse under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0).
- Image: Examples of the use of the diamond star shape (stars with four points) used by AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → developers in their branding and UIs (user interfaces). Compiled by Elliott Bledsoe. Each are the trade mark of their respective developers.
- Graph: Analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute of the potential value AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → will created annually across a range of sectors. © McKinsey & Company, ‘Artificial intelligence (AI)AI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → has the potential to create value across sectors.’, 2018.
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Unless otherwise stated or indicated, you can reuse this blog post – No one can doubt AI’s commitment to sparkles: Why have so many AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools adopted the Sparkles emoji? – under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). Please attribute Elliott Bledsoe. View the full copyright licensing information for clarification.
Whether AI-generated outputs are protected by copyright remains contested. To the extend that copyright exists, if at all, in the banner image I generated using AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → for this blog post (i.e. the first image at the top of the blog post), I also license it for reuse under the terms of the Creative Commons licence (CC BY 4.0).
To the extend that copyright exists in the logos and graphics from AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools have been used here within the scope of section 42 Fair dealing for purpose of reporting news of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
Reuse of the logos and graphics from AIAI is tech and marketing speak for a range of technology that imitates human intellect. Learn more → tools may be permitted under a copyright exception (but that’s your call!)
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