Human and Heavenly - Creativity Sets Us Apart
“Which is more valuable – creativity or efficiency?”
This has become a rather common question in job interviews, and for a long time, I didn’t know how to answer it. But I believe I have found the answer, and I am bold enough to state it outright: Creativity is far more valuable than efficiency, and efficiency cannot exist without creativity.
In 2024, an average of 34million images were created using generative AI, according to every pixel.com
Applications such as DALLE, CoPilot, or Midjourney have enabled the creation of images that would have taken artists hours, even months in some cases, to complete. Now, they’re accessible with just a few words, even if the quality of results are questionable.
But is it worth it?
As the world slowly becomes less colorful, less creative, and more automated… is art and creativity the only thing separating human from machine?
WHY AI?
AI is easy. It’s more cost-effective than hiring an artist, graphic designer, or a VFX artist for output that may vary in quality and consistency over time.
So why would you commission an artist, who is far more expensive, instead of typing a few words and getting a ‘good enough’ result?
AI is convenient. It’s accessible. Not everyone has art skills, nor the budget to afford custom artwork for their projects.
And while that’s understandable, is it understandable for company like Coca-Cola, who has a net-worth of over $265 billion dollars and can easily afford hiring artists, to utilize AI in a Christmas commercial?
A case could almost be made for an employee without a marketing/art budget utilizing AI to create an image they couldn’t make on their own. But what about the companies that can afford to pay real humans to create art?
It’s cheaper, yes. But is it ethical? Is it worth the cut in quality? Is it worth removing the beauty of human creation for the sake of efficiency?
Environmental Impact
The argument has been made – automation needs to take place at some point, using the illustration of agricultural advancements to illustrate the need for machines.
One can’t argue that many industries in which machines have largely taken over have become far more productive and efficient, and, in the case of agriculture, have decreased environmental impacts.
Decrease of cows and increased production means fewer resources needed to produce vital commodities to the public.
But should efficiency always be our goal? I argue that efficiency is only beneficial in certain cases, especially when providing essential commodities to a population, such as food or medicine. But look at the quote, ‘efficiency’ of the fashion industry.
From earth.org, the industry produces 92million tons of textile waste each year. According to British Vogue, up to 150 billion clothes are produced in a year.
The fashion industry is an example of what happens when the output is greater than the actual need, and what happens when artistry is sacrificed for the sake of efficiency.
Before the invention of the sewing machine, it was normal for the average person to own a very small amount of clothing, even for the wealthy, because it cost more time and effort to create a clothing item.
But in the modern era, efficiency has become the chief concern of any industry, and, in the case of the fashion industry, the environment is suffering for it.
Like the fashion industry, AI also has an environmental impact. According to the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the materials required to build the data centers that store AI require 800 kilograms for a 2kg computer and also require minerals that are often mined in, quote, “environmentally destructive ways.”
AI also requires energy – energy from fossil fuels, and Chat GPT utilizes ten times the energy of Google search, according to UNEP.
Now, we do have to acknowledge that human creation isn’t environmentally neutral, for example, digital art utilizes energy as well, but its impact is far less concerning than AI’s.
We have seen, time and time again, the cost of efficiency on our environment. Are we prepared to make that sacrifice once more?
Cognitive Benefits of Art and Creativity
Not only are we harming the environment, we also risk erasing creativity from our society, and the many mental and cognitive benefits it provides.
According to an article, Creative expression and mental health by Ducel Jean-Berluche, creative expression, categorized as visual arts, writing, music, and crafts, aids in emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, resilience, adaptability, and coping skills. These creative skills may also aid in social development.
Creativity is not neutral. It is essential to cognitive development in children, and it’s what makes life worth living as an adult. But we are robbing all ages of the joys of creativity with the ease of AI generated images, written work, language translation, and so much more.
Study after study continues to show the results of using AI - lessened critical thinking skills and decreased brain activity.
For example, a college student doesn’t need to think critically when writing an assignment anymore, and teachers, rather than work to create meaningful test questions, use AI to generate assignment descriptions and rubrics. AI is preventing active learning in the classroom and allows for students to sail through university without truly learning anything.
Culture and Creativity
Creativity also connects us culturally, and in the absence of creation, where will culture be found? From jewelry, paintings, fashion, cinema, architecture, music, to modern-day memes and online content that have defined generations, art has an undeniable impact on culture. Art unifies us, and it gives us a cause. Art is the face of activism, and it highlights the values of the ones who create it.
By trading human skill for AI, do we run the risk of stealing the beauty and benefits of creativity from upcoming generations? Do we risk losing valuable elements of cultures across the world?
James Baldwin says, ”The precise role of the artist, then, is to illuminate that darkness, blaze roads through that vast forest, so that we will not, in all our doing, lose sight of its purpose, which is, after all, to make the world a more human dwelling place.”
Art is more than an output. It is a sign of our humanity. Art is the ability to open our souls and bless the world with our creations. Art changes culture.
Art helps people.
Art moves the world.
Art is self-expression. It’s an expression of love, longing, hope, fear, and pain. It expresses injustice, and it expresses the need for change. It can be pleasing or dissonant. It can move you to action, it can challenge your beliefs and world view.
And behind it all is a human. A human with real thoughts, beliefs, desires, and a story. A human with hopes and dreams, struggles and trauma. A human with passions, and a human who wants, somehow, to leave a mark on this world.
A human created in order to create.
And we mirror the One who created us through creation.
With intentionality and care, he formed the mountains, the oceans, the moon, and constellations.
Everywhere we look, his fingerprints are visible. In the towering trees and in the animals that scurry around. In each human – in their smile, their laugh, their eyes.
We have a longing to create because God made us in his image – and he is The Creator.
When we paint a canvas, we reflect his soul.
When we take a photo, we capture the beauty that he surrounded us with.
When we create, we reflect the one who created us, whether we understand that or not.
Removing art and creativity from the world is to remove humanity from the world. And while efficiency has allowed, in some cases, for greater creativity, there is a line, and we are coming dangerously close to crossing it.
AI, just like so much automation that has come before it, has some genuine benefits that cannot be ignored. But AI should not be used to replace what humans enjoy.
Creation is messy. It’s complicated, and, at times, frustrating. Creation is not efficient, nor should it be.
Creation is human. And it’s heavenly.
