Are we losing our creative spirits?

Creating content is easier than ever with creative AI tooling. Want to post TikTok videos but don't know how? Tools like Opus Clip cut videos and add captions with just a few clicks. Want to write a newsletter but don't know what to write? OpenAI's GPT-4 can generate 20 ideas to start with. Quick and dirty content creation at our fingertips. That's what we wanted, right? Absolutely not.

Certainly, an undeniable benefit of AI tools is lowering the barrier to entry for newcomers. Beginners can start creating without being intimidated by technical software. Anyone who has opened Adobe Photoshop with no prior experience recognizes the sinking feeling of having a vision to create but not a way to execute it. Now with gen AI tools, anyone can create and publish content. I started posting on TikTok and Instagram a few years ago. With a few taps I can remix videos to share and educate millions of people. It's quite literally an amateur hour. The $150BN creative economy is based on this premise. We are witnessing an expansion of voices and perspectives in the media – especially historically underrepresented voices. Welcome to the age of democratization of media production.

Gene is another beneficial Hollywood of AI tooling. Image and video generators can reduce production costs. An introductory establishing shot that required drone or stock footage in the past? Runway's Gen-3 Alpha can create high-fidelity videos of sprawling cityscapes with its text-to-video AI model. Many of these general AI tools are in their infancy, but some are already embracing them in the filmmaking process: visual effects artist Evan Halleck used a scene in the Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All at One” Used Runway to edit quickly and cost-effectively. “Forbes columnist Charlie Funk painted the future of AI-generated movies winning Academy Awards in his article.

As consumers of content from social media (i.e. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc.) to traditional media (i.e. Hollywood), we don't see how the sausage is made. However, creators live the daily development process. Increasingly, they must contend with balancing artistic creativity with the increasing prevalence of AI.

AI tools are great for assistive or manual tasks, freeing up time for creators to explore more artistic endeavors. Tech YouTuber, Thomas Kim (@youraveragetechbro), uses many AI tools in his workflow: “Descript, an AI-powered video editor, speeds up editing. It allows me to do more manual parts of video editing (raw footage I've also used Midjourney, Gemini, and ChatGPT Plus to provide inspiration for thumbnails and graphics.

For full-time creatives, the creative process is just as valuable as the final product. The journey to improve mindfulness, experiences and thoughts is where much joy and satisfaction and magic comes from creation. But, over-reliance on these tools can reduce the creator's sense of ownership and artistic control. AI shortcuts can streamline the process, but they can also eliminate the elements that make it happen – and that make the final product incredibly human.

The essence of creativity lies in the unique, personal touch that each creator brings to their work. When AI takes over the process too much, it risks losing that individual spark. There is also the question of adaptation: if some creators resist the use of AI but their peers and competitors embrace it, must all creators adopt AI to stay relevant in the industry? And if all creations adopt AI in some way, shape, or form, what does a possible future look like? Alex Kruglov, CEO of gaming company pop.in, predicts an over-reliance on AI where all artistic output feels and looks the same, leading us to a point of “high mediocrity”. . Certainly, the antidote to this dystopian future is exploring and reconnecting with the most human part of creativity: the aspect that AI is currently unable to replace.

Over lunch at VidCon 2024, a group of media, entertainment, and technology thought leaders explored how AI has impacted our own creative processes. The general consensus was that while AI offers significant benefits, it also comes with its challenges. Some felt that AI had a positive impact on their work by making tasks more efficient, thereby freeing up time for creative work. Others expressed concerns that AI could lead to a loss of creative autonomy and a sense of detachment from the final product. The natural conclusion is: as artists, without a connection to our creation, why create at all?

As AI continues to evolve, its role in the creative industry will undoubtedly expand. The key challenge for creators will be finding a balance that allows them to take advantage of AI's capabilities without compromising their artistic vision and personal touch. We must be vigilant about how much we rely on AI, to ensure that it serves as a tool to enhance our creativity rather than replace it.

Questions for reflection

In light of these discussions, I pose the following questions to fellow creators:

• How do you stay original in an industry where the use of AI is becoming increasingly prevalent?
• What strategies do you use to maintain a sense of ownership and artistic control while incorporating AI into your work?
• What unique human experience do you have that can never be overwritten or replaced by AI? Tip: Don't say “love” or “heartbreak.”

Confessions

This is my first installment on all things creators, technology, business, and startups. Special thanks to Ben Reillys, Bernie Sue, Shira Lazar, Rosie Nguyen, Brandon Gahan, Paul Bakas, Jun Yushai, Joe Peña, and Jane Luo for their invaluable insights and contributions to this discussion.

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