Can Gen-AI be Creative?
Creativity is an art of self-expression. Does Gen AI have a self to express? Now, there are tons of articles out there arguing that Gen AI just can’t cut it when it comes to creativity. Take Katie Jacquez’s piece, for example. She makes a solid case that while Gen AI might excel at using knowledge it’s learned before (what she calls “crystallized intelligence”), it’s just not equipped to truly “create” in the same way humans do.
So, How is creativity born?
Creativity, simply put, involves generating original and valuable ideas. But is there more to it than that?
John Cleese, the author the book “Creativity” said in his speech at Video Arts in 1991,
“Creativity is not a talent, it is a way of operating.”
What he meant by “way of operating” was creativity is not an ability that you either have or do not have. It is absolutely unrelated to IQ (provided that you are intelligent above a certain minimal level). Research by psychologist Donald MacKinnon showed that the most creative minds among scientists, architects, engineers, and writers didn’t necessarily have a higher IQ than their less creative peers. What set them apart was their knack for getting into a certain mood— a way of operating, as Cleese put it. He described the most creative (when in this mood) as being childlike. For they were able to play with ideas… to explore them… not for any immediate practical purpose but just for enjoyment. Play for its own sake.
So here’s something to think about: Can Gen AI play? At the heart of generative AI models lies a fundamental concept — they learn by creating. These models utilize existing data to generate novel outputs, whether it’s lifelike images, coherent text, or melodic tunes. They operate much like our brains’ neural networks, where various components collaborate to process information and generate content.
But what does this imply? Can Gen AI engage in play? And even more importantly, should it? Let’s dive into that discussion.
Gen AI tools such as ChatGPT and Adobe Firefly can churn out art, music, and literature that’s pretty close to what humans create. But here’s the thing: Does this easy access to AI creativity mean we’re breeding a generation of “creative” people who are only good at tweaking prompts rather than truly struggling to come up with original ideas?
Sure, these tools make our daily grind at work a bit less tedious. But if we lean too much on Gen AI for creative tasks, it might not be all sunshine and rainbows. There could be some downsides we’re not considering.
For one, it might make us think of creativity as something we can measure and control, rather than something free-flowing and natural.If we start depending on AI for creative work, it could make us feel more stressed and less creative ourselves. When we’re working, we’re usually in a mode where we’re focused on deadlines and getting things done quickly. This is what Mr. Cleese called the “closed” mode. But when we’re in a more relaxed, less structured, and a playful state, creativity tends to flow more easily. This is the “open” mode. As professionals, it’s essential to learn how to transition between these modes. It would be more beneficial if Gen AI could enhance our closed modes by handling tedious tasks, rather than taking over creative tasks for those stuck in tedious routines.
Let’s think about it through two scenarios.
Scenario one: Imagine a UX designer given the task of creating a hotel reservation app. They turn to Gen AI tools like uiazard.io for help. The designer effortlessly generates not just wireframes or ideas, but complete high-fidelity screens with icons, images, color schemes, logos, and typography. Now the designer spends several hours fine-tuning these generated designs to fix any issues, such as nonsensical icons, text inconsistencies, and image placements. What do we end up with? A hotel reservation app that looks pretty similar to others out there. But can the designer really say it’s exactly what users want? Not really. And does it have that spark of originality? Despite all the tweaking, it’s missing that unique touch that makes it stand out.
Scenario two: Picture a designer who’s collected some data through interviews, ethnography, and surveys about the users of this reservation app they’re gearing up to create. They turn to a tool called QoQo.ai to dig into user feedback and pull out the key themes. These themes might point to stuff like most users being students ,tech-savvy, and they’re into products that look attractive and are easy to use.
They might also fire up a tool like Whimsical to map out how the app will flow for users. With this roadmap in hand, the designer gets down to brass tacks, brainstorming ideas for the app’s design and making sure to toss in stuff that’ll hit the sweet spot for the users they’re designing for.
So, what sets these two scenarios apart? It boils down to how the designer tackled their task. In the first scenario, both the AI and the designer were laser-focused on efficiency, just trying to get the job done. But in the second scenario, the designer used AI tools to streamline their workload, which freed up more room for them to kick back and let their creative juices flow.
Having said all of this, Let’s flip the coin to wrap things up with a thought that might make you go, “Hmm.” Creativity isn’t just about being good at something — it’s about having a certain mindset. It’s like getting into a playful, childlike mood where anything feels possible. Now, here’s a wild idea: Gen AI is basically a creation of human smarts, right? So, what if we could teach Gen AI to play? I mean, train it to let loose and think outside the box like a kid does.
It’s a bit out there, but imagine if we could do that. Would it make Gen AI even more creative and come up with wild new ideas? Who knows, really? Only time will tell if we can make that happen and what it might mean for the future. But hey, it’s definitely something interesting to chew on.
Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the read! 😊