Keeping Creativity Human in an AI World
Over the years, people have always built on what came before. Artists, musicians, and writers often look to those who came before them for ideas, learning their methods and understanding the times they lived in. Then, they add their own spin to make something fresh. This way of learning and evolving has been key to the growth of art and culture. But now, with artificial intelligence stepping into the creative world, things are changing.
The Human Approach to Creativity
Human artists are uniquely able to connect with the works that inspire them. Rather than merely copying what came before, they engage deeply with these influences, interpreting and transforming them through their personal experiences and cultural backgrounds. This process allows for fresh perspectives that often lead to groundbreaking innovations in artistic expression.
Take the Impressionists, for example. They built upon classical techniques but ventured into new territory, experimenting with light and colour in previously unseen ways.[1] Similarly, jazz musicians are remarkable in their ability to take traditional forms and infuse them with improvisation and distinctive rhythms (although I prefer the raspy tones of an orderly distorted pentatonic scale any day).
This ongoing dialogue between artists and their influences creates a rich tapestry of evolving styles and genres. Each new piece of art reflects the artist’s journey and contribution to the larger narrative of human culture.
Reassessing “Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal”
The quote “Good artists copy, great artists, steal, often attributed to Steve Jobs/Pablo Picasso/Igor Stravinsky/T.S. Eliot,[2] suggests that the best artists take ideas from others without acknowledgment or meaningful transformation. This oversimplifies the creative process by implying that innovation stems solely from appropriation rather than thoughtful reinterpretation. True creativity involves much more than mere theft of ideas; it requires an artist to engage with their inspirations critically and reinvent them in a way that adds new value and meaning.
Artistic creation is not about taking someone else’s work and claiming it as your own. Instead, it’s about being inspired by existing ideas and transforming them through your unique perspective. This transformation leads to genuine innovation and progress within any artistic field. When artists engage deeply with their influences, they create works that resonate on a deeper level, offering fresh insights and expanding cultural dialogues.
AI’s Role in Creative Production
AI approaches creativity in a fundamentally different way than humans. It processes vast existing art, music, and literature datasets, primarily identifying and replicating patterns.[3] As a result, AI-generated creations often closely resemble their source material, lacking the depth and transformative interpretation that human creativity brings.
For example, AI trained on thousands of paintings can produce images mimicking Van Gogh’s or Picasso’s style; however, these images do not carry the same intent or cultural context that motivated these artists. A notable instance highlighting this issue is when AI-generated images inadvertently included Getty Images watermarks, indicating that the system had trained on copyrighted material without permission.[4] This incident underscores the fact that AI does not “learn” as humans do—it does not experience or interpret context. Instead, it generates outputs based on pattern recognition, which can lead to ethical and legal challenges regarding originality and intellectual property rights.
The Implications for Artists and Creativity
This difference in approach raises important questions about the role of AI in the arts:
- Originality vs. Imitation: While AI can produce works that look or sound original, they are often imitations based on existing templates. This challenges our understanding of originality and authorship in art.
- Cultural Context: Human creations are deeply rooted in cultural contexts and personal narratives. AI lacks this depth of understanding, which can result in works that miss the nuances of cultural significance.
- Value and Recognition: As AI-generated art becomes more prevalent, it could overshadow human artists who bring originality and cultural insight to their work. This could devalue genuine creative contributions.
Navigating the Future of Creativity
To ensure that AI enhances rather than diminishes human creativity, we must establish frameworks that recognize and preserve the unique contributions of human artists:
- Ethical Use of Data: It is essential to ensure that AI systems are trained ethically, respecting the intellectual property rights of artists using their works as data inputs.
- Promoting Collaboration: Encouraging collaborations between AI developers and artists can lead to new tools that support artistic innovation without undermining it.
- Preserving Artistic Integrity: Emphasizing the importance of cultural context and originality in art can help distinguish between human-driven creativity and AI-generated imitations.
While AI presents new possibilities for creative expression, it is crucial to remember that true artistry involves more than replication. It is about interpretation, innovation, and cultural dialogue—elements that remain uniquely human. By fostering a balanced relationship between technology and tradition, we can ensure that AI serves as a catalyst for creativity rather than a substitute for it.
References:
[1] The Role of Influence in Art https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/impressionism-art-and-modernity
[2] What does it mean — Good artists copy, Great artists steal https://medium.com/ben-shoemate/what-does-it-mean-good-artists-copy-great-artists-steal-ee8fd85317a0
[3] How does Stable Diffusion Work? https://stable-diffusion-art.com/how-stable-diffusion-work/
[4] Getty Images Claims Stable Diffusion’s Creator ‘Copied’ 12 Million Copyrighted Images https://gizmodo.com/getty-images-stable-diffusion-ai-art-generator-1850079852
