Creating With AI Without Losing Our Creativity

There is a great deal of debate among creatives about using artificial intelligence in their work. On one end of the spectrum are people who give AI a basic idea and allow it to do nearly everything for them. On the other are creators who continue to develop their own stories, characters, themes, and ideas but use AI as a supporting tool. They may ask it to suggest a better word, organize an outline, brainstorm character names, or help edit a manuscript. These are very different approaches, yet they are often treated as if they are the same. I believe we need to recognize the difference between allowing AI to replace our creativity and using it to help us become more creative.

I recently read about layoffs within Marvel Studios’ visual-development department—the artists who helped establish the appearance of its characters and cinematic worlds. Although the layoffs were reportedly connected to cost cutting and a reduced production schedule, artists have also expressed concerns that companies are increasingly using AI for concept development. These tools can generate ideas for characters, sets, and costumes—work that previously required teams of trained artists. Seeing talented creatives lose those opportunities breaks my heart, but this is not the first time technology has changed or eliminated jobs.

When the printing press was introduced in Europe during the fifteenth century, books no longer had to be copied entirely by hand. This reduced the demand for scribes and monks who reproduced manuscripts, but it also made books faster and cheaper to produce. As a result, written knowledge became accessible to far more people. The printing press changed certain professions, but it also opened the door for more people to read, write, and share their ideas.

The same can be said about computers.

My parents came from a generation that experienced the rise of computers in the workplace. Like many people at the time, they initially decided that they didn’t need to learn how to use them. Eventually, however, they watched their jobs change or disappear as businesses adopted the new technology.

My mother worked as a telephone operator for several years before computers automated much of that work. My father spent years working in a factory. Shortly before the company was sold and the factory closed, he had to begin learning how to use a computer—something he found extremely difficult.

It is always painful when someone loses a job, especially when it happens because technology can perform part of that job faster or more cheaply. However, my parents’ experiences taught me something important: as the world and its technology change, we must be willing to learn and adapt.

I personally don’t like creative work that is produced entirely by AI. If someone enters a simple instruction and allows a program to make every creative decision, I have difficulty viewing that person as the creator of the finished work. At the same time, I have seen genuinely creative people accomplish more by using AI as a tool.

For example, I know people who enjoy writing songs but are not professional musicians. Instead of spending hours trying to compose and record all the music themselves, they can write original lyrics and use software to create an arrangement around them. This allows them to hear their ideas brought to life, experiment with different musical styles, and continue developing their creativity. I am not talking about replacing musicians who depend on their craft for a living. I am talking about people pursuing a creative side project that they may never have been able to complete otherwise.

AI is also helping more aspiring authors enter the world of writing. I am not talking about someone entering, “Write a story about Bob in 1940,” and then claiming the finished result as a personal creative achievement. I am talking about authors who create their own worlds, characters, plots, and messages but use AI to organize an outline, find a better word, brainstorm a character’s name, edit a manuscript, or develop a book-cover concept.

Professional editing and cover design can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Many talented people have stories inside them but lack the financial resources needed to prepare and publish those stories. Used responsibly, AI can help remove some of those barriers and give independent creators an opportunity to share their ideas with the world.

I don’t believe there is one simple answer that settles every debate about AI. How the technology is used matters. There is a major difference between using AI to support your creativity and allowing it to replace your creativity completely.

Whether we like it or not, however, AI is here to stay—just as computers were decades ago and the printing press was centuries ago. As creatives, we must learn how to use it wisely, ethically, and to our advantage while protecting the human imagination at the heart of our work. If we refuse to learn or adapt simply because we fear change, we may eventually find ourselves left behind.

If you don’t already I would be honored if you subscribe to my blog to be notified when a new post is posted.

Also follow me on social media

Here are your social media links:

* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZKStone/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/z.k._stone/

* Threads: https://www.threads.com/@z.k._stone

* X (Twitter): https://x.com/authorzkstone

* Website: https://AuthorZKStone.com/