So, we’ve been spending loads more time together this year. I knew something was developing between us at work, but I hadn’t imagined things would move so quickly. I guess that was naïve of me. You’re so hot right now, shaking things up and changing the ways in which we work. We were totally going to get thrown together. Especially when I saw your name on the delegate list on one of our marketing workshops.
You’re the office Fremeny I can no longer avoid, and I never know how it’s going to work out when we collaborate. Sometimes you usher in time-saving revelations and cute tricks and I admit, that’s refreshing. But on the bad days you worry me; it seems like you’re just courting controversy and are plain untrustworthy.
Look at the some of the chaos you’ve caused this year!
Look at the some of the chaos you’ve caused this year… Confusion flared as Instagram tagged original photographic images as being ‘Made with AI’ when photographers had used standard essential editing tools. Then Adobe Firefly’s training pedigree got called out as ethically dodgy - to the point of legal action. Elsewhere, we had an AI-powered grocery bot suggesting a toxic gas recipe under the guise of ‘aromatic water mix’. That was exceptionally irresponsible of you.
So, to be frank, your growing success and popularity are getting me a little concerned. Don’t get me wrong, I’m keen on saving time. I love finding more efficient workflows and effective new ways to work as a team. And as a tech nerd, new applications and software generally make me happy. Yet…
I *heart* Adobe Photoshop
I’m also a creative who works in social media management for Youbee Media's marketing consultancy. I’ve used the Adobe suite for years now, with Photoshop as my first digital love. I’ve developed workflows and techniques that mesh with my style and ongoing work requirements. Many of us have spent years figuring out how to pull off certain visual feats in a way that’s ‘just right’. But now, Adobe is providing anyone who can afford the subscription fee with the ability to accomplish something similar, just by selecting a few options. Granted, these results can still be improved upon, but the need to do things ‘longhand’ (with all the knowledge that required) is now obsolete.
While this is brilliant from a time-saving point of view, it raises questions about how you’ll affect my job security, and the very parameters of what I do for a living (and enjoy as a hobby too).
I became a designer to create actual visuals, but now I’m also channelling my skills into crafting prompts that will generate these visuals for me. I’m a fan of lifelong learning, and I like to remain digitally and creatively current, but this is all somewhat disorientating. Like I’m faking it, to save time. If the client is happy with the results and timeframe, I’m going to be happy too, right? But to me, as an old-school industry creative, the results can feel unsatisfying, a little diluted.
Which gets me on to style trends. Specifically, style trends that are becoming uncannily prevalent. I’m sorry Canva, I’m looking at you….
My eyes are on you, Canva...
Canva contains an evolving range of AI tools, but was already a widespread hit with its built-in resource libraries and user-friendly templates. It is just.so.convenient. However, popularity comes at a price, and huge uptake of users has led to a certain ‘Canva aesthetic’ across social media. With convenience comes conformity. It might be a bit ‘Dark Mirror’ of me, but I suspect that in time, AI design will be derived from Ai design. I hope this will ultimately be a very niche genre, in a design cul-de-sac, or (like humans eating Soylent Green) it isn’t going to end well.
To dodge this path, I feel the need for organically rendered raw originality still remains. Results from my messy sketch/note pad aren’t as quick or convenient as a typed prompt (especially one that’s been purchased online as a bargain pack of Fifty Marketing Prompts). But I’ll be doing my bit to dilute the homogenisation of design, even if I’m just blending in some long-hand concept work with AI-collaboration work.
It’s superficially great to have you around, Ai, when you take care of the groundwork and do the ‘heavy lifting’. But will this ultimately make us too complacent to do complex thinking, stop us engaging with the whole process directly? Call me a luddite (‘LUDDITE!’), but I have a feeling that continued reliance on this can lead to fundamental opportunities for shaping a project or concept being overlooked, simply because we become used to glossing over the foundation stages.
An ethical AI kickback
I know I’m not alone in experiencing misgivings about digital creative shortcuts. There are other examples of an ethical kick-back that challenge your prevalence in the art world. Then there’s the increasing uptake of Cara among the art community, a social media and portfolio platform that filters out generative AI images.
The Cara blog explains their stance; ‘Many platforms currently accept AI art when it’s not ethical, while others have promised “no AI forever” policies without consideration for the scenario where adoption of such technologies may happen at the workplace in the coming years.
The future of creative industries requires nuanced understanding and support to help artists and companies connect and work together. We want to bridge the gap and build a platform that we would enjoy using as creatives ourselves’.
Don’t be alarmed AI. Your continued evolution is inevitable, and I admit that in time - with the right approaches and systems - you’ll expand the horizons of our creativity rather than diminishing it. Just as photography pulled alongside traditional portrait painting, and digital art came to snap at the heels of hand-rendered artwork, there’ll eventually be enough space for all forms of expression. To get to this point, I’m just holding out for balance and improved ethical definition, to cultivate my trust and confidence in AI technologies.
So, here’s to our next collaboration. We’ll find a way to work in harmony, right? 😉
Good Luck to us all!
Dena
