As a digital creative agency, we have been learning more about artificial intelligence content generators, like OpenAI and Chat GPT over the last several months. Just one look at the image* above and you can see that it was created “in the style of Gustav Klimt”. Interesting? Absolutely. Original or ethical? Well, that’s the dilemma. As AI generation becomes more widespread and technology advances, more businesses will use these tools on a regular basis to create their blogs, website code, graphics and other forms of digital content with minimal effort. While this may seem like an efficient way to quickly produce content, there is a downside that many people overlook: the negative impact on writers, designers and artists, and even creativity itself.
The primary concern when it comes to AI content generators is that they are not capable of producing original work. Rather than relying on human creativity and artistry, these tools rely on algorithms which generate output based on existing data sets or templates. They have essentially memorized the entire Internet in a matter of seconds, so naturally they have a glut of information at their disposal. This means that while the resulting end-product may appear well crafted at first glance, if you dig deeper you will find very little originality or artistic vision behind it. Instead, you’ll find an amalgamation of pre-existing ideas or images meshed together into something resembling actual work. Is it fast? Sure! Is it high quality? That has yet to be determined.
Another important consideration is that artificial intelligence content generators pose a real threat to ‘traditional’ artists and content creators. It is an easy way for anyone (even those without experience) to create works without having any real-life understanding of how art should be composed or presented to their audience. AI generating tools don’t have the drive, intuition, and insight required by creative individuals, nor do they understand audience needs, wants and goals. What they can do though, is allow users access to powerful algorithms to produce works quickly, which is never a bad thing for a business’ bottom line. Will this mean a devaluation of genuine imaginative talent over time as less attention is paid to those who actually have creative skills, where we resort to relying on automated systems that churn out mediocre art and content en masse? Sounds a bit scary to us.
In terms of website development specifically, AI tools can be useful in terms of automating certain tasks, and even brainstorming an array of ideas or pitches. However, the quality of AI content is rarely reliable, and lacks the nuances of language, feelings and the psychology of human behaviour that are an essential part of successful marketing, graphic design and website creation. The words and images used in any medium matter – but will the necessary emotions and concepts be captured through the use of AI generators?
We can all agree that artificial intelligence content generators are handy when there is a need to quickly generate or automate large amounts of material, but when used improperly, the risks have ethical impacts, worldwide. Is using AI worth the potential to compromise creativity, threaten originality, and inspiration? We still have much to uncover and understand, but for now, we’ll stick to using our good, ol’ fashioned human brains here at Element 6.
*(Image Credit: Replicant Army via Adobe Creative)