Opinion

Graphic Art by Louise Mansing

Artificial Intelligence: Creativity’s Tool or Threat?

By Louise Mansing | August 8, 2023

HUMAN creativity is centered on the grounds of originality, inspiration, and emotion—three things that many critics fear are absent in generative technology. However, the creative community has expressed concern about the overuse of these tools, and many have criticized the proliferation of AI-generated art as seen on numerous social media platforms. Despite these concerns, artificial intelligence continues to pierce its way into editing software programs, generating the question of whether it is expanding the boundaries of human creativity or contributing to its decline.

Artificial intelligence, commonly known as AI, was developed in an effort to help with specific tasks by rapidly augmenting human-like capabilities. As technology continues to reinvent itself, AI is always developing, and the constraints which creatives frequently struggle with are met with creative solutions. Terms such as generative fill can create new elements that were not initially present in an image. Furthermore, it can even extend a picture based on the user’s preferences. While all of these were designed to increase the creative potential of creators, a division in the community has emerged as a result of concerns about the potential harm that these tools could cause, especially in the areas of user integrity and truth.

In the end, it all boils down to how we, as artists, utilize the tools that are at our service. While AI aids in generating new ideas , it can also lead to accidental copyright and overreliance, prompting a lack of genuine effort on the part of the creative. Therefore, it is our obligation to use technology conscientiously to prevent misuse and dependence. Instead of using generative technology to produce creative works, exercise discipline by establishing a balance between the tool and the creator. Automated processes such as colorization and texture application can be aided by AI, but the purpose, meaning, and idea behind the art should still stem from its creator. 

Volume 29 | Issue 1