Is Generative AI killing creativity?

-by Aakash Mitra

The rise in generative AI has sparked intense debate about its impact on human creativity,
with many concerned that they pose an existential threat to human creativity. However, I
personally believe that rather than killing creativity, they hold the potential to enhance human
creativity in profound ways.

At first glance, the capabilities of AI systems such as Chat GPT and DALL E do seem rather
unsettling. The way they can learn from vast datasets of existing creative works and then
generate new content that so closely resembles human made art is undeniably impressive;
potentially concerning.

However, the more I have experimented with generative AI, the more excited I have become
about its potential to enhance and elevate human creativity. As an example, recently I had to
come up with an original idea for my graduation project and upon doing so, I faced a creative
block where I had no idea on how to proceed and stared at a blank document despite having
the ideas jumbled up in my head. AI helped me to rapidly produce text that captured the
essence of what I was trying to articulate. I then used that as a jumping off point to take the
writing in my own unique direction, infusing it with my personal voice and experiences.

The same goes for visual art practice, a lot of the artists themselves use the AI art not to kill
their creativity but rather take inspiration from it. These tools can be used to explore different
concepts that they have in mind, find different compositions and even take new stylistic
approaches. It opens up new avenues for experimentation with art, hence enhancing the
creative process by helping in making the leap to something different smoother. In a sense,
generative AI could be like a partner handling the more routine or laborious aspects of work
(such as a student/helper to a Mangaka) while opening up the artist or writer to higher level
conceptual and emotional work.

As these AI continue to evolve, I’m excited to see how they can unlock our creativity further.
Of course, we have to be responsible with how we deploy generative AI in our work. Rather
than killing human creativity, they have the potential to empower creators, accelerate
innovations and unlock entire new ways of imagination. Technology throughout history has
always been a double-edged sword when it comes to any form of arts, but I believe that with
the right approach, AI can be a powerful force for enhancing human creativity.