Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making its way into the creative industries, generating everything from visual art to music and even literature. Tools like OpenAI’s DALL-E and JukeBox are offering artists and creators new areas to explore. But with these advancements, the question arises: Does AI enhance creativity, or does it risk replacing the unique qualities of human artistry?
In today’s day and age, AI has taken over lots of industries and made it so much easier and more efficient to do ones job. The same can be said for the creative industries. For example, DALL-E creates detailed images from simple text descriptions, allowing users to visualize their ideas practically in an instant. Similarly, JukeBox composes music by mimicking styles of different musicians, creating new songs that sound like they have been composed by certain artists (OpenAI, 2023). These tools offer exciting possibilities for artists, enabling rapid prototyping, experimentation with new styles, and creative exploration.
However, the rise of AI in creative fields also brings concern. It sparks the question if AI-generated art can bring emotion and depth or if that is something that only human experience can bring in traditional artwork. A different perspective came from a study done by the University of Vienna shows that, contrary to popular belief, people actually do perceive emotions and intentions with art that was generated by a computer (Demmer et al., 2023).
There is also concern that AI could replace human artists, especially in fields like graphic design, stock photography, or music production. These are fields where AI can generate work in just a fraction of time and for much cheaper. Specifically stock images, marketing materials and generic mass-produced works are sectors that are most likely to take a hit (Tremayne-Pengelly, 2023). In marketing, for example, companies are increasingly using AI-generated content for campaigns. That leaves the worry that AI will lead to job displacement for many creators, as AI is able to generate logos, designs and music so quickly.
I think that rather than viewing AI as a threat, it should be seen as a tool that artists can use to lift their creativity. Just like the fact that digital cameras and phone cameras didn’t eliminate paintings, AI should also be used in a way to complement human creativity, not replace it.
References
Demmer, T. R., Kühnapfel, C., Fingerhut, J., & Pelowski, M. (2023). Does an emotional connection to art really require a human artist? Emotion and intentionality responses to AI- versus human-created art and impact on aesthetic experience. Computers in Human Behavior, 148, 107875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107875
OpenAI. (2023). DALL·E: Creating Images from Text. OpenAI. https://openai.com/dall-e-2
Tremayne-Pengelly, A. (2023, 31 augustus). Will A.I. replace artists? Some art insiders think so. Observer. https://observer.com/2023/06/will-a-i-replace-artists-some-art-insiders-think-so/
