AI and creativity: Navigating the intersection of technology and creative innovation

As a creative person, my initial encounter with AI and its capabilities left me apprehensive, fearing it might pose a threat to my career.

The power of AI raised concerns, with the worry that embracing it could inadvertently divert me from my chosen path.

However, as I delved deeper into the subject, conducting extensive research on how to harness AI's potential for enhancing productivity, my perspective evolved. I came to understand that AI operates in a logical and systematic manner, distinct from the spontaneity of human creativity. My creative nature enables me to find innovative solutions to diverse problems, whereas AI is programmed to process information methodically, adhering to predefined instructions and yielding predictable outcomes.

My ability to innovate and view things differently equips me to generate fresh ideas and solutions—a skill cultivated during my university education, which emphasized creative thinking. This creative thinking involves making connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, enabling me to approach problems from various angles and devise unexpected solutions.

While AI excels at precise tasks demanding accuracy, it falls short in the realm of creativity, as these two concepts inherently oppose one another.

Looking toward the future, AI holds the potential to empower artists in several ways. It can function as a tool, democratizing the creative process by dismantling traditional barriers. Additionally, AI can serve as a collaborative partner, fostering connections, influencing outcomes and effectively conveying artistic intent to diverse audiences. Furthermore, AI can transition into the role of an observer, offering artists fresh insights into their work and their own creative processes.

This evolving role for AI is closely aligned with the cognitive tools that constitute artificial intelligence, which have the capacity to revolutionize creative workflows. These cognitive technologies streamline tasks, reducing the time creative professionals—such as designers, writers, and filmmakers—spend on repetitive processes or memory-intensive tasks, enabling them to focus on higher-value, more imaginative work.

If you're eager to delve deeper into this topic, I encourage you to explore the many resources available, including the ones below.

Big-picture thinking about AI

• Is AI a Wedge Between Designers and Creativity? by Frank J. Martinez for PRINT (April 2022)
• This article explores ways that AI can be integrated into the creative process, including both the opportunities and challenges inherent within.

Ways AI is being used in the creative field today

• AI and Creativity by Nini Hu for Harvard Data Science Review (Jan 2022)
• The author of this article explores the ways in which AI can democratize creativity, including asking: “How can the rest of us become more creative through AI?"

The future of designers is not in designing

• The Future of Designers by Glen Hougan (May 2023)
• In this presentation, you will learn that the future competition in the field of design will no longer come from other designers and their creations, but from AI technology. This presents a significant challenge for design education, which must now formulate a response to this evolving landscape.

AI in Education

• AI and Creativity · Issue 4.1, Winter 2022 (mit.edu) by Nini Hu, (Jan 2022)
• In this article, fashion creative technologist Nini Hu gives real-world examples of the ways in which musicians and artists are using AI to further their creative vision and bring AI technology into the ‘mainstream’ creative world.

The New World Of AI-based adaptive education

• The New World Of AI-Based Adaptive Education by Dr. Bijaya Kumar Sahoo (Dec 2020)
• The article explores how education is using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve teaching and learning. AI is everywhere and it's changing our lives and the world.

AI in Advertising

• When generative AI meets virtual production, what does it mean for advertising? LBB Online (Aug 2023)
• This article talks about how virtual production has rapidly evolved from a novelty to a game-changing technology, according to Pablo Bertero, the chief innovation officer at Wunderman Thompson. Companies are now embracing virtual production not only for its potential cost savings and environmental advantages but also for its ability to enhance visualization, simplify lighting, and create more realistic visual effects, ultimately leading to a superior storytelling experience. As a result, the era of the green screen is gradually fading into history

We need to play

• We play. We learn. by PJ Pereira, Creative Chairman at Pereira O'Dell, Chief Creative Officer at Service plan Americas (Mar 2023)
• This article discusses "playful activities"; those smaller, less significant actions that are carried out with genuine enthusiasm. Play serves as a fundamental tool for us to initially grasp our senses, concepts like gravity, the notion of consequences and the dynamics of competition. Moreover, it explains how these playful activities are instrumental in the development of both individual and group skills.

A Framework for the Deployment of AI in Canada’s Post-Secondary Education System

• AI in Canadian's Post-Secondary Education system (July 2023)
• This article is about the enduring impact of AI on various aspects of education, such as teaching, learning, assessment, student support services and administrative systems. While challenges exist, as is typical with innovation and change, the central issue is how to seize the opportunities presented by AI without causing excessive disruption or inappropriate implementation, ultimately avoiding it becoming a poor investment and a mistake.
• Arezu Ahmadi Provisional RGD is a freelance graphic designer at A. Pencil Design with a background in graphic design and UX. She has previously worked with ASUS. Her expertise includes brand design, graphic design, and web design, helping passionate entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses. Arezu excels in authentic storytelling and design, providing clients with visual identities that empower their growth.