AI vs Creativity

It almost feels unnecessary to write this, but we can all agree that AI is THE hottest topic of 2023. Like many others, I’ve used it to generate some cool artsy visuals of myself (lensa.ai), completely change my clothing in photos (Canva ai), and write up entire pitches and sales emails (chatGPT).

AI is making my life as an entrepreneur a lot easier, but to be honest, my inner artist has some difficulties with the generative types of AI especially when it comes to creativity, artistic expression, and the exploitation of artists. 

Since I am working on a tech startup within the Arts & Culture that uses an ai-first approach, it was only time for me to give my 2 cents on this piece of generational changing tech. 

So, I’ll start this opinion piece with a statement;

I believe that if you are working on AI that replaces certain creative or artistic processes, you need to have a certain level of creativity, artistic knowledge, and understanding of the value of the Arts & Culture to society. 

AI and Creativity don’t have to exclude one another, I am probably the first to advocate for using AI in the Arts & Culture. But unfortunately, these sectors are known to be exploited, undervalued, underappreciated, and less tech-savvy than any other sector. With the rise of AI, it is important not to fall back on these habits but rather search for ways how AI can empower the Arts & Culture. 

What is Creativity?

As Andrew NG says it best; AI is like automation on steroids. I am all up for automation and giving people back their time. But since the recent boom of generative AI, it feels like we are losing a sense of appreciation and deep understanding of what creativity means. 

Creativity does not mean replicating a photo or generating an artsy image based on some selfies and data sets of, often unauthorized, pieces of art. 

Deep human emotions are what make up the core of creativity. Creativity is not only about the end result, it is the process that matters most. The process of self-expression, imagination, conceptualizing, visualization, and creating. 

Because these creative processes are so personal and personalized, they have the power to unlock great monetary value. For example, we don’t just adore Beyonce because of one simple song… we adore her because of her journey, her creative expression, and her masterly honed craft. That would be singing ;) 

The value of creativity is often directly linked to its creator/artist. So no, AI cannot be creative or artistic because right now it doesn’t experience authentic real feelings or emotions that can serve as a source of inspiration for self-expression. 

Maybe someday, when AI is sentient, it could be creative. But even then, the real question would be whether we, as humans, could develop a level of artistic appreciation for AI… 

Could sentient AI become an Artist? 

Is that really something that we need? 

A Cultural Renaissance Is Near 

In the coming years, Goldman Sachs estimated that AI will replace 300 million jobs while also creating 97 million new jobs in mainly tech-related positions. While many processes will get automated, there will also become more space and a need for creativity in our society. 

And creativity needs inspiration.

That’s why I believe the Arts & Culture will play a vital role in how we shape this new world where AI and Humans collaborate. Not only because of the content these sectors produce, but because of the creative processes they nurture. As I mentioned before; creativity is about emotions and is more of a process than an end result.

No matter if you are building a billion-dollar company or a dance performance, both require a creative process that involves understanding human emotions. 

Over the course of humanity, the combination of the Arts & Culture with Science has always been at the forefront of innovation and economic prosperity. Think of the Greeks, the Roman Empire, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment. 

This time is no different. 

To me, combining tech and culture is not only about commercialization, it is about creating a new foundation for our future society. 

Yet, all of this doesn’t mean that we have to stick to what we know in terms of Arts & Culture. I believe that a cultural renaissance is near in which technology inspires, shapes, and drives a new appreciation for creative expression while the Arts & Culture sectors as we know them can greatly benefit from it. Only if they are ready to embrace these new technologies, they will be able to lead this renaissance. 

Which they must. 

Empowering Creativity with AI

Where Web3 brings in this amazing wave of new opportunities for creative self-expression, while simultaneously providing ownership to the artists, I can’t help but feel that the latest developments in generative AI seem to want to replace them. 

Yes, generative AI is great for content production and marketing campaigns, but because it is not a form of creative expression, I don’t think it needs to be used as a replacement for artists.  

Rather, I would opt for creating AI that sustains and empowers artists when we talk about real creative and artistic work. 

To do that, those creating AI within these creative fields, need to have an in-depth understanding of what creative expression and artistic processes look like. In other terms, you need to be an artist yourself as you should have experienced these processes first-hand. Only then will you understand the real value of creativity.

And yes, this means that I believe that not everybody working on generative AI is well-equipped to fully understand what they are touching and the repercussions it has on our society on a cultural level. That all sounds really pessimistic but I would propose a simple solution; just bring on some artists! Ask them what they want AI to do and the sky is the limit. They are artists after all!

One thing is for sure, AI has the power to bring the Arts & Culture to new heights, and at the same time, the Arts & Culture have the power to inspire meaningful AI projects that will truly benefit our society.

Instead of rejecting AI within the Arts & Culture, ask yourself; how can AI help us work more efficiently so that we can pay our artists more fairly? 

Instead of thinking your generative AI project is gonna disrupt the world, ask yourself; is this going to be truly beneficial to our society on a deeper cultural level? 

I wrote this piece because I have had many different discussions on this topic with people from both fields and I wanted to start a more meaningful conversation surrounding generative AI and creativity. 

Overall, I am very excited about AI's possibilities and am busy finding ways in which AI can empower the Arts & Culture. If you have any ideas, please feel free to reach out to me!

Bonus: Will AI replace the Arts? 

Since I do love using ChatGPT, I asked her whether AI will replace the Arts after writing this piece. Fascinating answer!

“It's unlikely that A.I. will completely replace the arts. While machines can generate outputs that are indistinguishable from those created by humans, there is still something unique and special about human creativity that machines cannot replicate.

Art is not just about technical skill or aesthetic beauty. It's about self-expression, emotion, and human experience. It's about the unique perspective and voice of the artist, and the connection that they can create with their audience. These are qualities that are deeply rooted in the human experience and are unlikely to be fully captured by machines.

Furthermore, art is constantly evolving and changing, and new forms of expression are constantly emerging. A.I. can certainly contribute to this evolution by providing new tools and techniques for artists to explore, but it is unlikely that it will completely replace the human touch that is so essential to the arts.

In addition, art is also a deeply personal and subjective experience. What one person finds beautiful or moving may not resonate with another person. This is something that machines cannot fully replicate, as they lack the human emotion and experience necessary to connect with people on a deep level.

In conclusion, while A.I. can certainly enhance and augment the arts, it is unlikely that it will completely replace them. Art is a deeply human experience that is rooted in emotion, self-expression, and creativity, and these are qualities that are unlikely to be fully captured by machines.”