Looking Around: How Creative Work Is Changing

In September of this year, Emory University gathered writers, filmmakers, and musicians to talk about what AI means for their work. They noticed that computers can now mimic painting styles, write songs, and even sound like famous voices. This made some people worry that AI might take over jobs that feel deeply personal. Research from MIT Sloan suggests a more nuanced picture: when humans and AI work together on creative tasks, they can do quite well. That’s because people bring inspiration and context, while AI can handle repetitive tasks faster. At the same time, the internet is filling up with “AI slop” (if I see one more Sora video….), low-quality content churned out quickly. It's also able to make amazing copies of content already out there. A good example of this is Figma’s “Make Designs” tool, which the company had to shut down because it copied Apple’s weather app almost exactly; only the devs at Apple know how many millions went into designing that app that AI copied in minutes and for 20$ a month.

If I can do it faster and in many cases, better, how can AI help us creatives?

Imagine More

Many of the fears about AI replacing human creativity come from not fully understanding how these systems work. Dana Haugaard, who runs the Integrated Visual Arts Program at Emory, calls himself a “skeptical fan.” He believes that creativity still belongs to humans, but AI can be a new kind of paintbrush. Another professor, Adam Mirza, tells his music students to treat AI like an instrument. In other words, learn how to use it, see what it can do, and make it fit with your style. MIT’s study backs this up: humans provide the ideas and meaning, and AI helps with the repetitive stuff.

Instead of replacing our imagination, AI can push it further by offering new possibilities or speeding up the boring parts. Think about how accessible music became as we moved from the pipe organ to synths to MIDI controllers. They are still just inanimate tools without the human imagination; an instrument collecting dust, waiting for the one who hears the music to create with it.

My Hopeful Outlook: Work Together With Technology

The future of creative work can be bright if we see AI as a partner, tool, or personal assistant. Think about how photography didn’t kill paintings but instead created new kinds of art. AI could make filmmaking cheaper and more accessible for independent creators, but it won't destroy film or keep actors and directors from pursuing the craft. That inspiration that flows from inside us isn't just replaced with a hive mind run by AI; it's independent, unique, and inherently human. My 7-year-old loves to paint. Not because AI hasn't taken over that industry, but because she loves it. We'll never be robbed of the things we love. In tomorrow’s world, designers will use AI to test wild ideas while keeping things original. Musicians will experiment with sounds that would’ve been impossible before. Writers will bounce ideas off chatbots but still write in their own voices. Teachers will personalize lessons with AI while helping students think critically about technology. The tool enhances, not replaces; it pushes the boundaries of our imaginations, not removing them.

What truly sets us apart from the machines is creative intent. AI outputs are simply remixes of what they’ve encountered—they've been trained on what's been done, things they never imagined or dreamt up. They serve as witnesses of the past to help us shape the future. However, these are just trainings based on observations. Psychologist Mark Runco adds that choosing to create—picking up a paintbrush or opening a blank document—is essential to creativity. Our capacity to dream, break rules, and draw on personal experiences cannot be replicated by algorithms. When we combine that human spark with AI’s ability to explore and reproduce, we can build a more inclusive and imaginative world of creativity.

Final Thoughts.

Of course, to get there, we need clear ethical rules, fair pay for artists, and a new mindset. And those things NEED to happen sooner rather than later. But instead of asking whether AI will replace us, ask how it can help us envision more. The limits of the technology are directly connected to the limits of our imagination. The future isn't the past, so we adapt. The future will belong to people who use technology to amplify their stories — not those who let AI drown them out.

My Sources

• “The future of creativity in the age of AI” – Emory University (Sept. 12, 2025)

• “When combinations of humans and AI are useful” – MIT Sloan press release (Oct. 28, 2024)

• Guidance for generative AI in education and research – UNESCO (2023)