The Death of Creativity: AI Vs. Art, Literature, and Cinema

MADE ON CANVA

Creativity is not a commodity to be profited from. It is a rebellion, a piece of a human’s soul, and a deep connection that machines cannot replicate. We must defend it at all costs and never let it fall into the hands of machines that would erase it sooner rather than later. 

It is a known fact that the rise of Artificial Intelligence’s grasp in various fields of the humanities is swift. However, its seepage into the creative fields of Art, Literature, and Cinema is not tolerated at any point, as it would ultimately lead to the death of human creativity. The message is simple: AI seeks to be the destroyer of human expression. While it can be acknowledged that AI can miraculously replicate the style or give rise to technically sound works of art, it cannot, in any instance whatsoever, imbue those works with the artistic emotion that resonates with the art community. 

Art is a very personal conquest; it is born from intense human emotion, raw visual experiences, and individuality like no other. I fail to understand how, nowadays, humanity is under the false impression that AI Art can replace an artist’s art. Moreover, multiple ethical concerns require addressing: Who is the rightful owner of an AI-generated piece of art? Is it the AI itself or the programmer who worked in the back end? Unresolved questions such as these create a sense of dilution to the integrity of the reaches of artistic creation. 

Another important point to note is that recently, there has been an outright infringement of the Intellectual Property rights of the legendary Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli. All across social media, pictures are being converted into the art style of Studio Ghibli because of OpenAI. This trend created by them has reduced an art style loved by millions globally to a mere mass-produced commodity. Further, upon some research done, legal experts who have looked through this matter argue that OpenAI likely trained its software models on copyrighted works from Studio Ghibli without permission, which is a clear violation of the previously mentioned IP rights. Despite the outrage of artists and fans of Studio Ghibli's revered art form, OpenAI continues to work in a very grey legal space. The exploitation of Studio Ghibli’s painstakingly created art should also be a reminder that human creativity is NOT a commodity that can be milked for profit whenever chosen to do so.    

Writing is a task that does not involve merely stringing words together to form a sentence; the primary purpose of writing is to craft intriguing narratives and evoke emotion from the readers. It is a fact that AI-generated literature falls short in this space, solely because a machine cannot replicate the exact emotions that a writer can evoke within the readers. Further, the educational implications are equally, if not much more dire, as students who heavily rely on AI for their writing are at risk of losing their creative abilities and their critical thinking skills.  It is imperative to understand that if we continue to rely on AI for literature and writing, Humanity is at risk of fostering a future generation that would be incapable of any form of creativity whatsoever.  

The vast field of cinema has always been a space where powerful stories meet visual artistry. Yet, at this juncture, AI stands to destroy this space by seeking to provide scripts that are based on existing patterns and formulae, thereby leaving very little space for groundbreaking visual ideas or even for directors to experiment with unconventional storytelling techniques. AI in filmmaking is a catastrophic idea, as it would only provide the directors with scripts that are rendered safe and uninspired, thereby further saturating the cinematic landscape. Lastly, similar to the above instances, over-reliance on the forms of AI that exist, including Deepfake technology, is raising serious concerns over the presence of consent and the presence of authenticity in the field of cinema. 

The larger picture is easy to discern: human creativity is under siege, as the dangers posed by Artificial Intelligence are now extending well beyond the individual art, films, or works of literature. It is now striking directly at the heart of what it is to be a human. Let me remind you, dear reader, creativity is not just a skill that is part of a skillset; it is one of the most essential parts of a human’s identity. By lazily choosing to outsource our creativity to that of a machine, the truth is, we are risking losing touch with humanity entirely. Remember this: AI can initiate, yet it can never innovate; it can replicate, but never attempt to create. Creativity belongs to Humanity, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the Death of Creativity is all but a mere myth.   WRITTEN BY, R. MAHIMA RAM