All new technology in its early phase is highly disruptive to the status quo. I call this the ‘dynamite’ phase—you can use it to blow things to smithereens or tunnel through mountains and move humanity forward. AI, especially generative AI, is in its ‘dynamite’ phase. Artists and writers—people who make a living creating artefacts, or products, if you will, are alarmed. What do these apparently violative developments mean for the sanctity of their creations and their livelihoods?
As someone who spent half a dozen years writing for a living and has then spent the next dozen-plus years building consumer tech products (games, healthcare, education, media and payments), this is a topic close to my heart. Creating something is a personal act. It requires craft, honed over years of immersive practice and patience. Writers, artists, coders, designers… all share these traits. We learn from other practitioners, through reading, viewing, observing, listening and most importantly doing, and over time develop what we believe is our unique style.
Artists are often afraid their work might be considered derivative; the fear of being called a ‘copycat’ looms. And yet, it is inescapably true that we all learnt through imitation. No one questions a child (or even an adult messing around with an Apple Pencil) who looks at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and tries to copy it.
