Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a touchy subject across a wide range of industries. Some people love it. Others hate it. But no matter your feelings, it doesn’t seem like it’s going away any time soon. In fact, tech minds are only trying to make it smarter. But should creative minds be afraid of a takeover? Not as long as you remember one thing: it’s Artificial for a reason.
AI doesn’t work without humans.
It needs people to program, prompt, and play with it so it can function and learn. It sources information that’s already out there (created by humans) to spit back an answer. Sure, it may eventually learn and respond faster, but can you be sure that information is correct, concise, and creative?
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em?
More and more AI-users are trying to validate their decisions to get on board with the artificial process with reasons like:
AI won’t take your job but someone who uses it will.
If you don’t get behind it, you’ll be left behind.
It makes your life so much easier.
Does it? Or does it just do a job that you didn’t want to do in the first place?
As a writer, I know how tedious it can feel to find the right word, craft the right sentence, and try to follow the right formula for enticing an audience through text. It’s understandable that people want to find a shortcut, especially in an environment where time is money. But simply turning to tech takes away another key part of the creative process: thinking. Not to mention disconnecting from other creatives by not brainstorming together or getting their feedback. Those who say they're becoming friends with their AI bot is another topic altogether.
There’s also a growing pressure to follow the status quo. AI is in everything we see now, from everyday tech features to a majority of job descriptions. While it may have a place in optimizing workflows by creating lists, scheduling calendars, and sending notifications, some tasks should be sacred.
It’s disheartening to hear those in the creative industry say they use AI for something other than spellcheck. It’s understandable if they’re curious about how it can punch up a word, sentence, or paragraph, especially if there’s a dreaded case of writer’s block. But to hear teachers and professionals fawn over its ability to write headlines, social posts, and entire books makes me question how creative they actually want to be, especially if they copy/paste exactly what AI comes up with and calls it done.
Stretch Your Brain for Yourself & the World
What would happen if you didn’t use your muscles? While there are many levels of exercise, it’s understood that being stationary creates more health problems. Move it or lose it, right? So what about your mind? If we stopped trying to think creatively or critically and relied on AI to come up with all the answers, where would that leave us?
AI has come a long way from Microsoft's Clippy paperclip and other digital assistants. But even though Alexa can tell you a joke, she still doesn’t possess the same crucial skillset as the human brain. Creatives should want to tone these mind muscles instead of relying on a robot to do the heavy lifting. Instead of training a program, flex your own imagination by:
practicing your craft
reading across genres
listening to your surroundings
collaborating with other humans
immersing yourself into diverse artistic works.
Not only are these abilities key for creating a compelling story, but they help us build relationships, resolve conflicts, and innovate far beyond what a computer can achieve.
Remember what humans are capable of that AI lacks:
Emotional Intelligence
Original Thought
Common Sense
Intuition
Imagination
The world could always use more empathy, moral reasoning, and intuitive problem solving. But AI only works within certain parameters and predefined data. And with the speed at which information and technology changes, this data is usually outdated.
Isn’t it time to think outside of the technological box and stretch our mind muscles? Instead of rallying behind AI, acknowledge that the creative mind is still something that should be celebrated and not replaced. It takes time and passion to create something timeless. There may be a place for AI in streamlining our lives, but let’s not allow it to take over our minds.
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