The Fire Has Already Spread: An Honest Take on the Future of Creatives in the Age of AI

Transformative. The legal word AI companies hide behind. It means, “we took it without asking, but you can’t do anything about it.” Their lawyers want us to accept that paying up after getting caught somehow evens out the theft. Guess what? Nothing there is morally right or acceptable.

These AI models are fed massive data sets. And most of it scraped, much of it pirated. They can recognize patterns and predict outputs. Companies like to compare it to teaching a child, but they leave out the part where those books were stolen. It works so well that they can mimic human sensibilities and creativity. In blind tests, readers prefer AI-generated poetry to Shakespeare. They can't tell the difference, and they keep guessing wrong. Let that sink in.

So, where does that leave us?

The questions that keep us awake at night are, “What does the future hold? Do we get to keep our jobs? Will AI replace us?”

The fire has already spread. Companies are adopting AI without a moment's hesitation to save money and increase productivity. You’ve read the news. You’ve heard your peers.

There are two ways to look at this: One, just go with it. Learn to use AI as a tool just like Photoshop. Two, fight the overlords with pitchforks and exclaim, “To hell with AI!” We’re too tired and overworked. Some of us don’t have the means to go against the grain. But we are not dumb.

I also use AI, but the way it was built was wrong. Yet here we are. I try to make the best of the situation.

I will not sugarcoat it. Junior creatives are on the chopping block first. Speed, volume, technical execution, and superficial creativity are a lost cause. We can’t compete with AI on those. As a creative with more than a decade of experience, I can only advise you to dig deeper into your experiences. Take risks. Have a point of view. Find meaning. Feel. Be human.

I’m like you. Lost and anxious.

But, hopeful.