Generative AI has had huge implications on what it means to be working in the creative space.
When human sounding text, images and even video can be produced with the press of a button - we need to explore what role the creative person has in society.
If we buy into the notion that a human brain is just a sum of it’s parts. Neurons, synapses, etc. Then it is possible that statistics and pattern matching (which generative AI is, simplified) can create works that connect with humans on an emotional level given enough resources.
Influencers has already proven to a degree that experience or actual knowledge isn’t required to build authority or a large following, what is required is being able to form a emotional connection. It doesn’t matter if it’s strongly pro or against - as long as you react.
Novel, truly new ideas, are far and few between. I then posit that ideation is a thing generative AI today is already capable of, at least in the way that’s required by todays standards.
And if we look at another area and drill down we could see that ethics and morals are just pattern matching learnt by society over time.
While gen-AI may be able to mimic human-like output, a common objection I hear is that it currently lacks the emotional depth and subjective experiences that humans bring to their work. The ability of generative AI to truly connect with humans on an emotional level remains questionable.
The question we should take a good long honest look at is: Do we as a species really care?
Our top creatives that pull the wide audience aren’t Da Vincis or Beethoven anymore.
They are the Kardashians, Lil Waynes and Trumps.
In terms of ideation, while generative AI can certainly generate a wide range of ideas through pattern matching and statistical analysis, these ideas are ultimately derived from existing data. They are not “new” in the sense that they don’t originate from a unique perspective or individual experience. They are reflections and reconfigurations of what already exists.
But honestly - that’s most things already. The question of whether we as a society value novelty or originality in our creative works to a degree where gen-AI can’t just do it remains an open one for me.