A Quick-Take on AI

I'm an optimist but I have to admit, things are pretty crazy right now.

As a writer, graphic designer, and content-creator who’s with two decades in these professions, I’m witnessing a revolution because in the last two years alone, all of these professions have come directly into the firing line, each at high risk of being ‘destroyed’ by new AI technologies.

At least, that’s what a lot of alarm-bell smacking journalists and furious artists would have you believe.

Honestly, things are moving so fast that nobody really has a clue what’s coming, so with the introduction of services like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and various new, AI-driven video editing apps (many of which are still emerging), some would have us believe that entire industries are about to become obsolete.

But I see things differently. I don’t believe this is the end of human endeavour (unless we’re about to experience an AI-driven apocalypse — totes possible) and I’d like to explain why.

If you’re a nerd like myself, then you’ve no doubt played around with some (or all!) of these new image-generation technologies and, honestly? They’re more than just impressive. They’re magic. I mean, what’s more incredible than coming up with an idea and seeing it appear before your eyes? Never before in human history have we had the ability to watch an idea take shape so quickly and visually. This development is huge.

Text-based AIs like Open AI’s ‘ChatGPT’, or Google’s ‘Bard’ are also amazing, even now in their early stages. And they’re only going to get better.

So of course I see the risk; that a client who asks for an illustrated novel cover will head for AI generated art, far more polished than anything I could come up with in the same time. And for far less money. I can also imagine that people won’t buy my books, in favour of something an AI wrote, which may be both more profound and coherent (and probably also cheaper, too!).

Totally fair. I get it, and I don’t blame people for choosing AI over me if it saves them money and time.

However, there’s something missing from AI generated content that machines will never be able to replicate, and as corny as it sounds, it’s the human-factor.

The reason I go to comedy stand-up shows, for example, is not to hear jokes. I go to see personalities telling those jokes. People whose delivery and style I enjoy. Sure, an AI will be able to duplicate these things, one day, and maybe an android Bill Bailey will dance across the stage and reel off his set with perfect timing and endless energy.

But I still won’t be watching Bill Bailey, and to me (and plenty of other people), that’s the only reason I’m there.

This applies to almost all types of human activity. I don’t just go to a cafe because I like their coffee and menu items, but because I like the interactions with the staff. I want to support a cafe owner or local bookshop because it’s a human endeavour, and as another human, I empathise with their dreams and goals.

I hope the same applies to my own work. I hope that when people read my books, they’ll enjoy them not just for the content, but because they also empathise with a human who has put a great deal of work into creating them for other people’s enjoyment. And that they’ll also appreciate the ideas and dreams that that person has tried to express.

Now, that’s not to say that general AI, when it eventually arrives, won’t have similar dreams and goals. It probably will, and we’ll probably end up enjoying content created by AI personas like we do human personas. The point to consider here is that AI won’t eclipse the experience, but add to it. We won’t give up on watching human stand-up comedians, we’ll just watch them and AI comedians.

As for my work as a designer, I am already using midjourney to inspire myself. It’s great at generating colour palettes, and its compositions can be used as guides for my own work. The thing is, I don’t use it to replace the work I do, but augment my process, because personally, I love the challenge and satisfaction of creation. Again, it’s not eclipsing me, but functioning alongside me.

There is one thing I’ll state right now, however: I do not ever intend to use AI to generate written material. I love and always want to create characters, ideas, problems, and solutions myself. So, if you read one of my books or stories, you can be sure it’s me that’s written it.

Otherwise, though, what I believe AI offers is an endless stream of inspiration to tap into. An endless variety of ways to visualise an idea or overcome a block, or to nudge me onto an alternate, creative path. I have no interest in giving up design or writing or creating fun videos, because I love all of these activities. I want to continue to learn, and improve, and share what I’ve achieved, and it seems to me these are universal, human desires.

I hope that people realise that AI doesn’t have to take that away, but rather lessen our reliance on human labour for mundane tasks, and open fuller, more varied experiences to more people. I also hope it doesn't decide to wipe us out. But hey, it's a big universe, and why go to the trouble of squashing all the ants when you've got endless possibilities to explore?

With no way to tell what's coming, all we can do is wait and honestly, rather than worrying myself sick, I'd rather play the optimist.