Calling all expert prompt engineers.
Seattle startup Forum3 revealed Monday that it is beginning production of Hive3, a new esports-style contest for content creators to develop images, audio, videos, games, and more through generative artificial intelligence.
The goal is to give creators a platform to showcase the potential of AI and compete for cash prizes and sponsorships. The first season of the competition will be released later this year.
Forum3, founded last year to help companies use NFTs and other new tech for brand building, is starting to reach out to potential participants and assembling a panel of judges.
The contest will be primarily featured on Hive3’s platform, including the “possibility for a show,” said Forum3 co-CEO Adam Brotman. The idea is to create a cooking contest-style program, where viewers can follow along at home and learn how to use AI platforms like ChatGPT and Midjourney. They can also hear more about the ethical and legal guidelines for use of the tech, said Brotman, a former Starbucks digital leader.
The contest comes as the broader public adopts AI tools. A study found that 28% of Americans say they interact with AI at least once per day.
The emergence of AI has been a cause for concern over intellectual property rights, as content creators and studios fear their work is being used to train AI models without compensation or acknowledgment. There has been misuse over the creation of deep-fakes, where audio, images and videos are digitally altered to resemble the likeness of another person, often without their consent. AI is at the center of the Hollywood strike; actors and writers have expressed their concerns over AI being used to replicate their likeness, taking away job opportunities.
Forum3 co-CEO Andy Sack noted the potential for new tech to inspire “poor behavior” and “cash grabs,” including the many crypto-related scams during the rise of Web3 popularity.
“We absolutely want to come down on whatever it means to be on the right side of responsibly unleashing exponential creativity,” said Sack, a Seattle-area tech vet.
As part of the pre-season development process, the focus will be on landing sponsors for the competition, including movie companies and other consumer-oriented brands. The company also anticipates endorsements from AI companies themselves.
A number of legacy brands are tapping into AI hype for their own marketing campaigns. In March Coca-Cola launched an AI contest, developed by OpenAI and Bain & Co., inviting digital creatives to produce artwork featuring its logos. Earlier this year, a flurry of user-generated AI videos were released, attributed to Balenciaga.
Brands will be drawn to the competition’s mission of teaching responsible AI usage, Sack said.
Forum3 helps businesses develop AI, blockchain, and metaverse technologies. The startup previously advised Starbucks on the development of its digital collectibles project Odyssey. Forum3 raised $10 million in December and introduced its NFT-based customer engagement tech for consumer-facing companies.
Sack co-founded Seattle-based seed-stage investment fund Founders’ Co-op, then led Techstars Seattle for five years, with one cohort producing three unicorns. After that, he worked alongside Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella as an innovation and digital transformation consultant. Most recently, he was an investor at blockchain native venture fund Keen.capital.
Brotman is the former chief digital officer at Starbucks, where he helped build the Starbucks mobile app, which now handles more than a quarter of the company’s orders. He is also the former CEO and previous chairman of Brightloom, a startup that helps companies turn their customer data into personalized marketing campaigns.
Those interested in early access can sign up on Hive3’s website.
