Great perspective. Especially love the fancy wine example. I think over time, human generated efforts will be synonymous with “hand crafted” or artisanal works. We can look to that category for what is to come
Yes 💯, I love to see how some artists take the viral trends such as the “you as an action figure” but with a “human intelligence” or “no AI” stamp that remind of those hand-crafted label. The popularity of those shows that people do respond positively to a return to human creativity… Which of course doesn't resolves all the problems, but is nice to see 🙂.
Hi Lud! I’m late for the party but I can’t refrain myself from leaving a note here. Dealing with AI is a big part of my job and I have conflicting emotions. I try to distill my take about AI and creativity in a few sentences.
I believe the overuse of AI in the creative field is dictated by the "market request", and with market I mean also the niches where individuals act at personal level. It all boils down to quantity vs quality and the always overlooked concept of "enough".
The fight out there is on quantity rather the quality, I can create a lot of technically good enough yet emotionally flat contents because AI allow me to do that at close-to-zero cost and time, so, I can establish a "presence", the more hulking I get, the higher the chances people clicks on my contents. And that’s it, I don’t care if people read my contents, I just need followers, like etc.
Not long ago I used to metaphor in a workshop: AI is like a coloring book, no matter how good you are with colors and shadows, someone else did the drawing, not you.
A Creative person can and must use creativity to make the most of AI in assisting his process, the moment AI overlaps and control that process, the real creativity is gone.
Thanks Mauro, very well said! Seems those questions of what should be the place of AI in a creative work will only get more pressing, “Am I in a coloring book situation?” is a good question we can use to assess where we are.
It's a tricky subject. Instinctively, I'm a bi repulsed by many AI images. They are so samey and creepy (though sometimes that works with a piece). And I love hand drawn illustrations. It even makes me feel better about my own shortcomings as an artist - at least it's me and expressing my personality and experiences!
But then, I am aware that change is always uncomfortable at first - and it always presents opportunities as well as challenges. It's got to be up to us how we use technology.
Yet, there remains a part of me that is worried that if we embrace it without question, it may overwhelm us and make us forget how to create. And change what we view as Art forever.
Thanks for sharing this, Lud! Great to see how my post sparked some thoughts, and as always, I love your drawings!
That sketch of AI as a companion stands out to me. That’s exactly how I see it too. Take the iPhone as an example: it can take amazing pictures, but that doesn’t mean we all make amazing pictures. It still takes intention, a creative eye, and a story to tell. I believe this will also be how we will use AI; if we use it with intention, we are able to get to another level of creativity. Without intention, it will probably just reproduce mediocrity.
The default human condition is complacency - a plateau of comfort with the least resistance. This is why those who leap off the plateau such as athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, parents having more than 2 children are viewed as extraordinary.
AI enables the illusion of a better plateau, now I don't even need to learn anything but prompting, my output can appear to look artistic, my knowledge appears superior, though my business and parenting is still up to me to be successful at.
AI is a consumer condoned theft of all content that can be mined. IP and copyright is ignored, that is a crime and I despair for those who give up due to losing the rights to their own creations.
Hopefully AI will eventually be forced to eat its own content and enter entropy, but I suspect it will burn a lot of bridges on the way there.
Thanks for your thoughts David, I didn't know I was extraordinary for having three children but I take it 😁.
AI as an illusion is interesting, it made me think of a stunt double doing the hard tricks for you. Now, it can work if the fictional story you tell benefits from it, and everyone knows it is not you - but it is different if you send your double to your date.
Real connection would need real human.
About the copyright, I agree, currently the laws do not touch on "training" on copyrighted material and they need to evolve. I'm afraid that the toothpaste is out of the tube, it will be hard to go back... But we still can and should find new models.
Glad you put training in the air guitar quotes imagine if they were allowed to do that training on legal tender… I’m not sure their quotes would hold up in court then
I’m really torn on this. On one hand, every major shift or transformation in history has been met with resistance—people arguing the old way was better. And yet, we adapt, we innovate, and we find new ways to create. I agree creativity will look different in the future, but imagine the creative potential this opens up for people who never would’ve had the chance to operate at that level before.
You are right that people will find new ways to express themselves creatively, and AI can encourage to jump into projects they wouldn't even try otherwise.
Technology & Arts can go hand in hand, Pixar is an example of that. Nobody would denies their creativity and artistry even if they made the animation evolve from the traditional tools to computer animation. Similar creative minds will use AI to produce works of art through their storytelling.
What I believe is more concerning is when we create content at the push of a button, letting the tool create rather than using it in a ways that highlights the originator individual creative touch.
And of course the ethics of using artist production without their consent, or finding a model that honour their work.
What I’m really interested in is how this shift is going to impact how students learn to write whether in school, college, or even at work. It won’t be long before AI is doing the bulk of it. That has huge implications, not just for creativity, but for critical thinking and how we learn to express ourselves at all.
Love your take Lisa, and also of the approach I see I in your response: not be afraid of change, but questionning it and looking for the real value in both the "product" and the process!
Thanks for being the inspiration 🙂. There was also more interesting points in your post like "AI eating itself" that is an interesting thought, I am wondering how it will evolve and the place of quality human data in this.
I work for a Technology company, also providing AI solutions so can confirm that writing with AI is encouraged in companies, if looking for efficiency is the goal, it makes sense.
It is a very good question on what to teach students, writing is also thinking and expression, I would believe that having the capacity to do both of those things would still be relevant to be taught.
On a separate tangent, AI as a tutor sounds like a great way to provide individual feedback and go deeper on student interests.
Finding how to best prepare students for a rapidly and constantly shifting world is a real challenge, maybe sticking with a solid foundation of critical thinking, curiosity, social skills could be a way?
You don't really need to teach how to use AI, as it gets better, it also gets simpler to use, but living, finding your place and meaning in a AI filled world however is a deeper challenge.
Great perspective. Especially love the fancy wine example. I think over time, human generated efforts will be synonymous with “hand crafted” or artisanal works. We can look to that category for what is to come
Yes 💯, I love to see how some artists take the viral trends such as the “you as an action figure” but with a “human intelligence” or “no AI” stamp that remind of those hand-crafted label. The popularity of those shows that people do respond positively to a return to human creativity… Which of course doesn't resolves all the problems, but is nice to see 🙂.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts David!
Hi Lud! I’m late for the party but I can’t refrain myself from leaving a note here. Dealing with AI is a big part of my job and I have conflicting emotions. I try to distill my take about AI and creativity in a few sentences.
I believe the overuse of AI in the creative field is dictated by the "market request", and with market I mean also the niches where individuals act at personal level. It all boils down to quantity vs quality and the always overlooked concept of "enough".
The fight out there is on quantity rather the quality, I can create a lot of technically good enough yet emotionally flat contents because AI allow me to do that at close-to-zero cost and time, so, I can establish a "presence", the more hulking I get, the higher the chances people clicks on my contents. And that’s it, I don’t care if people read my contents, I just need followers, like etc.
Not long ago I used to metaphor in a workshop: AI is like a coloring book, no matter how good you are with colors and shadows, someone else did the drawing, not you.
A Creative person can and must use creativity to make the most of AI in assisting his process, the moment AI overlaps and control that process, the real creativity is gone.
And overindulgence is around the corner.
Just my 2c.
Thank you for sharing Lud.
Thanks Mauro, very well said! Seems those questions of what should be the place of AI in a creative work will only get more pressing, “Am I in a coloring book situation?” is a good question we can use to assess where we are.
Btw, your post about AI from a few months ago was also a great take - leaving the link here in case somebody read this 🙂 - https://substack.com/@maurotoselli/note/p-146389345?r=1bc09s
It's a tricky subject. Instinctively, I'm a bi repulsed by many AI images. They are so samey and creepy (though sometimes that works with a piece). And I love hand drawn illustrations. It even makes me feel better about my own shortcomings as an artist - at least it's me and expressing my personality and experiences!
But then, I am aware that change is always uncomfortable at first - and it always presents opportunities as well as challenges. It's got to be up to us how we use technology.
Yet, there remains a part of me that is worried that if we embrace it without question, it may overwhelm us and make us forget how to create. And change what we view as Art forever.
Thanks for sharing this, Lud! Great to see how my post sparked some thoughts, and as always, I love your drawings!
That sketch of AI as a companion stands out to me. That’s exactly how I see it too. Take the iPhone as an example: it can take amazing pictures, but that doesn’t mean we all make amazing pictures. It still takes intention, a creative eye, and a story to tell. I believe this will also be how we will use AI; if we use it with intention, we are able to get to another level of creativity. Without intention, it will probably just reproduce mediocrity.
The default human condition is complacency - a plateau of comfort with the least resistance. This is why those who leap off the plateau such as athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, parents having more than 2 children are viewed as extraordinary.
AI enables the illusion of a better plateau, now I don't even need to learn anything but prompting, my output can appear to look artistic, my knowledge appears superior, though my business and parenting is still up to me to be successful at.
AI is a consumer condoned theft of all content that can be mined. IP and copyright is ignored, that is a crime and I despair for those who give up due to losing the rights to their own creations.
Hopefully AI will eventually be forced to eat its own content and enter entropy, but I suspect it will burn a lot of bridges on the way there.
Though having a universal translator will be cool
Thanks for your thoughts David, I didn't know I was extraordinary for having three children but I take it 😁.
AI as an illusion is interesting, it made me think of a stunt double doing the hard tricks for you. Now, it can work if the fictional story you tell benefits from it, and everyone knows it is not you - but it is different if you send your double to your date.
Real connection would need real human.
About the copyright, I agree, currently the laws do not touch on "training" on copyrighted material and they need to evolve. I'm afraid that the toothpaste is out of the tube, it will be hard to go back... But we still can and should find new models.
Glad you put training in the air guitar quotes imagine if they were allowed to do that training on legal tender… I’m not sure their quotes would hold up in court then
“Artificial Instant Regurgitation” also called “AIR” 😉
I’m really torn on this. On one hand, every major shift or transformation in history has been met with resistance—people arguing the old way was better. And yet, we adapt, we innovate, and we find new ways to create. I agree creativity will look different in the future, but imagine the creative potential this opens up for people who never would’ve had the chance to operate at that level before.
You are right that people will find new ways to express themselves creatively, and AI can encourage to jump into projects they wouldn't even try otherwise.
Technology & Arts can go hand in hand, Pixar is an example of that. Nobody would denies their creativity and artistry even if they made the animation evolve from the traditional tools to computer animation. Similar creative minds will use AI to produce works of art through their storytelling.
What I believe is more concerning is when we create content at the push of a button, letting the tool create rather than using it in a ways that highlights the originator individual creative touch.
And of course the ethics of using artist production without their consent, or finding a model that honour their work.
What I’m really interested in is how this shift is going to impact how students learn to write whether in school, college, or even at work. It won’t be long before AI is doing the bulk of it. That has huge implications, not just for creativity, but for critical thinking and how we learn to express ourselves at all.
Love your take Lisa, and also of the approach I see I in your response: not be afraid of change, but questionning it and looking for the real value in both the "product" and the process!
Thanks for being the inspiration 🙂. There was also more interesting points in your post like "AI eating itself" that is an interesting thought, I am wondering how it will evolve and the place of quality human data in this.
I work for a Technology company, also providing AI solutions so can confirm that writing with AI is encouraged in companies, if looking for efficiency is the goal, it makes sense.
It is a very good question on what to teach students, writing is also thinking and expression, I would believe that having the capacity to do both of those things would still be relevant to be taught.
On a separate tangent, AI as a tutor sounds like a great way to provide individual feedback and go deeper on student interests.
Finding how to best prepare students for a rapidly and constantly shifting world is a real challenge, maybe sticking with a solid foundation of critical thinking, curiosity, social skills could be a way?
You don't really need to teach how to use AI, as it gets better, it also gets simpler to use, but living, finding your place and meaning in a AI filled world however is a deeper challenge.