AI won't end creativity
Whether you know of me or not that is fine. If you live in the modern world, you know what AI is, and what people are saying about it. It would take a real idiot to not have any idea of what people are saying about it.
“AI is going to take all of our jobs.”
“AI is going to ruin the creative industry.”
“AI should be banned from the creative hobbies.”
I understand the sentiment. It feels like suddenly, lazy people had access to the secret sauce that took people with those actual skills years to master. There is also the side where people don’t want computers or machines to take over what is so strikingly human.
Art, expression, and creativity.
I do understand it, but I do disagree (spoken with some nuance.) As someone who uses AI almost every day to help me complete items on my to-do list, I am of the opinion that it can be boiled down to a single sentence.
AI is what you make it.
At the end of the day, AI is a tool. A powerful tool, granted, but a tool nonetheless. And tools require a user. That user is you (or not.) See, all tools require a craftsman who has a vision. The tool can never have the vision, the inspiration, or the awe for the things that are so blatantly human.
AI will never be able to see the portrait on the canvas the way a painter does.
AI will never be able to express emotions in words the way the girl in the corner of the cafe can when she’s writing there late at night.
AI will never write billboard’s most popular song.
All of these things require human input, and this is a good thing. You, reader, are the craftsman. You have a suite of tools available to you in whatever niche you choose. AI is just one of them. AI is just one of many tools that will help you bring your vision to life.
The danger with AI is this: that people who don’t think that AI is just a tool start to use it to do the thinking. To do the dreaming. To do the envisioning. They let AI take the front seat while they step back. They don’t see the value in remaining as the craftsman, and using the AI tools that are available to help them accomplish their goals. They don’t see the value in creating beautiful moving pieces of art themselves.
But that is where the beauty is. The beauty of life is in watching what people can create with the tools available to them. Art, music, good literature. When AI takes the backseat like it’s supposed to, you can see a person’s soul in what they’re creating. When AI takes the front seat, you get garbage, because garbage was put in.
So yeah, I use AI quite frequently. For a lot of different tasks. Boring ones. Ones that either don’t require thought, or ones that I’ve already meticulously planned out beforehand.
AI will be what you make it be.
If you want to use it as a tool, great, I think you should. Just don’t let it take the front seat. Remain in the captain’s chair. Steer your creative vision yourself.
If you decide you’d rather not use it, that’s just as good. Just remember that it is available, and could help you bring bigger and better ideas to life.
That’s just my take. From some 23-year old who kinda likes using AI, do with this what you will.
Keep creating.
Much love,
-H