Future-proof your creative voice: preserving authenticity in an artificial world

It's 2024, and news headlines are prophesying artificial intelligence as both the utopia of productivity and the doom of obsolescence. 

Instead of succumbing to overwhelm in the face of relentless updates, product launches, and new technologies, let's focus on the principles that will level-up our current work, and equip us for a future where changes in technology are not only anticipated, but embraced. 

It's about using AI to do more of what we already excel at.

As British writer Vivian Greene once said: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain."

So, let us take a step back, and take stock of some fundamental rules we can use to orient ourselves. 

Above: Feeding AI with your own creative data will mould it into a bespoke tool that reflects your individual style.

Tech is a tool

Start with asking: How can AI help me do what I do now better?

The first principle of leveraging AI in the creative process starts with understanding that technology, at its core, is a tool designed to enhance and extend our capabilities. It's about using AI to do more of what we already excel at, in turn optimising our efficiency and creative output.

AI's role is to supplement human creativity and productivity, by taking over repetitive tasks, analysing complex data, and offering insights. This partnership allows us to focus on higher-level tasks that require human intuition, emotional intelligence, and creative thinking.

Gather your own rich repository of emotional intelligence, creative impulses, and experiential knowledge, and feed the machine.

Platforms like ChatGPT can be viewed as search engines on steroids, providing a more interactive, responsive, and tailored information-gathering experience. The difference can be likened to having a conversation with an expert rather than sifting through pages of search results.

An example: I direct a lot of sports training spots, and I like to learn about sport-specific drills. With ChatGPT, I dig into this subject with a nerd-like specificity. “Give me ten plyometric exercises that a speed skater uses to prepare for the Olympics.” This really helps add density to a sports script.

Above: AI is like a paintbrush; a creative tool that can reflect your artistic language and help you express your ideas.

Mentor the machine 

When experimenting with AI tools, the key is to guide them with your unique dataset, ensuring that they become an extension of your voice, rather than defining it. 

I have been creating work - both film and writing - for many years, so I have a large body of material that directly reflects my passions and interests — all of this can now be used as training data for machine learning. Big companies have been doing this for years. Now you can as well.  

In an era increasingly intertwined with AI, the role of human emotion in creative works becomes not just significant, but indispensable. 

Gather your own rich repository of emotional intelligence, creative impulses, and experiential knowledge, and feed the machine. By doing so, you mould the AI to reflect your 'taste' and perspective, creating a bespoke tool that resonates with your individual style and approach.

The AI becomes a tool that not only understands your artistic language but also contributes to it, echoing the adage, "In the artist’s hand, the brush whispered secrets to the canvas." Here, the AI is the brush; a tool that, when mentored effectively, can reveal hidden facets of your creativity and help you express them.

Above: Introducing AI can improve our ability to remain in a state of creative flow, leading to more profound, inspired, and impactful ideas. 

Hone your humanity

Our work must be transformative, offering a novel insight that leaves a lasting impression. This is our primary objective — and it’s achieved through lived experiences. We use our time away from the computer to develop the core ideas in our work.

The act of transferring emotion transcends mere storytelling or idea presentation – it is the soul of art.

In an era increasingly intertwined with AI, the role of human emotion in creative works becomes not just significant, but indispensable. The act of transferring emotion transcends mere storytelling or idea presentation – it is the soul of art. It involves conveying the essence of experience – an intangible insight – that forms a profound connection between the creator and the audience.

While AI has made significant strides in mimicking human-created patterns, it fundamentally lacks the capacity to feel. It operates within the realm of learned algorithms, unable to generate raw, unscripted emotions. It can assist, enhance, and even interpret human emotions in art, but the genesis of these emotions remains uniquely human.

This distinction underscores the irreplaceable value of human touch in creative endeavours.

Above: AI can interpret and replicate human emotions, but the value of human touch in art remains irreplaceable.  

Find flow

The potential of AI in the realm of creativity is most evident in its ability to facilitate and enhance "creative flow" — a state of deep, immersive creativity that is highly sought after by artists. AI's role in absorbing mundane and disruptive tasks is pivotal, as it clears the way for a more focused and undisturbed creative process.

By handling these routine aspects, AI allows artists to dedicate their full attention and energy to the core of their creative work. Additionally, AI can act as a unique source of inspiration and an insightful collaborator. It can offer novel perspectives and ideas that might not be immediately apparent, extending the artist's reach and empowering their creative expression.

You are at the helm of your creative outputs and the AI technology that will absolutely help you elevate that work.

Introducing AI to the creative process is not about replacing human intuition and emotion but about complementing and enhancing it. When used effectively, it can significantly improve our ability to remain in a state of creative flow, leading to more profound, inspired, and impactful work.

This synergy opens up new possibilities for artistic expression and innovation, making the creative process more fluid, dynamic, and enriching.