Do you believe in Magic?
by Ashley Graham-Wilcox
Despite the near-constant chatter about it, I often have a hard time conceptualizing how I can actually use AI – I don’t think I’m alone there. Luckily. I know that I can expect the products I use in my everyday communication projects to do some of that brainwork for me.
For example, just last night I discovered that Podcastle – the product I use to create sermon podcasts for a small, online-only church – has introduced an AI tool that learns and can produce specific voices so that after only a few minutes, you can type any word and it will produce an audio version of it in your voice. Perfect for micro changes in a recording that you don’t have the time, quiet space, or editing tools to produce yourself.
(Creepy? Maybe a little bit. And also one of the main points of contention in the current SAG actor strike. But I’m not a trained actor making my living off of my performance, but rather a reluctant podcast host who’s always talked too fast and works from home on a busy (loud) street with an active (loud) dog, so I will take the audio support I can get. AI moral quandary, indeed.)
Over the last few months, Canva has introduced some of its own AI-powered features, which I’ve been testing out to various success. Here are some initial thoughts:
Magic Write: This is basically ChatGPT embedded into Canva, and it’s all about how you write the prompt. I don’t use Canva for much long-form copy, so don’t foresee getting much use out of this feature (and I have reservations based on my experience with Grammarly). More interesting is the ability to automatically create versions of your design in a different language without having to copy and paste.
Magic Design: This is Canva’s attempt to bring even more Photoshop/Illustrator-style tools into their user-friendly interface, by introducing guides, layers, and drawing. It’s also a more refined version of their Design Template search and a tool I have started to use regularly in the brainstorming process. With a few different prompts, you can get a few design ideas that you can refine on your own. I also appreciate that this tool has built-in graphic design best practices around layout (It will prompt you to rotate an image, for example.)
AI Video Editing: Similar to how Instagram will suggest a Reel template based on the song you choose, this is to me the most interesting new Canva feature because it automates a previously labor-intensive/time-consuming process of editing every individual clip to the exact right length.
AI Image Editing: Many of these tools are similar to those from the Adobe Suite and might be too basic for anyone with slightly advanced design skills. Promising, but flawed in the same way as the Magic Write tool, in that its success is largely based on the prompts entered.
I appreciate that many of these companies name these new features, “Magic,” recognizing that is what it feels like to some of us.
In fact, on our drive home from school this week, my dragon-obsessed nine-year-old asked me what I’d do with animus powers, which, at least according to the latest book series he’s reading, means “enchanting any physical object.” As we brainstormed, I realized I was basically describing the castle in Beauty in the Beast (“Well, I’d like dishes that wash themselves and clothes that fold themselves and a shower that cleans itself…”) – and maybe that’s a way to think about AI in our church communications, a little enchantment.
So, what animus – I mean AI – tools would you like to see show up to make your everyday work just a little simpler? Let us know in the comments.
