The blog two weeks ago today was about reviving creativity. I’d like to dig deeper into how AI has impacted not only my own creative process, but the work and mindset of creators across nearly every corner of the digital world. The truth is, AI has brought us remarkable opportunities—and some very real challenges. Whether you see it as a tool, a threat, or something in between, there is no denying it is reshaping the way we work in ways we simply cannot ignore.
So, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: is AI really taking over all of the creative jobs?
The core argument you hear time and time again against AI is that it’s solving a problem that never really existed. Most creatives enjoy the work they do. They don’t need or want a machine stepping in to do it for them. (It would be much nicer to have a machine do our laundry, or dishes, or any of the household chores we don’t want to do).
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And as a creative myself, I’ll be honest. My initial reaction to AI tools like ChatGPT, image generators, and music bots has been mostly negative. They’re cool, sure, but also a little unsettling. It’s hard not to feel a bit threatened when you watch something non-human doing a version of your work not only faster but for a fraction of the cost.
That said I can’t deny that AI has become an incredibly useful tool. I’m just as guilty as the next entrepreneur when it comes to using it to streamline some of the more tedious parts of my job.
Still, I’m a creative at heart and this is something I’ve thought deeply about. While it’s clear that AI is beginning to phase out certain roles, I don’t believe creatives are on the verge of extinction.
Because here’s the thing about creative people: they’re crafty. That’s kind of the whole deal. Creativity isn’t just about producing cool stuff; it’s about solving problems, adapting, thinking outside the box. Throw a hurdle in front of a true creative, and they’ll find a way around it. Or, better yet, they’ll turn it into art.
Sure, AI might take over some parts of the job and automate things to be faster or more “efficient,” but it still can’t do everything a human can. Not even close.
In fact, in many cases, it’s doing the opposite of destroying creativity. It’s opening new doors. For some creators, AI has taken the burden of time-sucking tasks off their plate. We’re talking hours once spent manually editing, formatting, captioning, or color correcting now freed up to explore fresh ideas, experiment with new styles, or start that passion project they kept putting on the back burner.
Of course, there’s no denying the flipside. Yes, AI has also displaced some creative roles. That’s real, and it’s scary. There are jobs that have been lost or downsized because a machine could get the job “done” faster and cheaper. And for many people, “done” is good enough.
But here’s where I’m hopeful: the creative spirit isn’t going anywhere.
Because even in the age of AI, there’s still something deeply human that machines just can’t replicate. Emotion. Nuance. Lived experience. Humor. Pain. Joy. The subtlety in a joke. The hesitation in a memory. The weird, imperfect, beautiful mess of being alive.
AI can mimic, but it can’t feel. And when it comes to art, storytelling, connection, that still matters. A lot.
So no, I don’t think creatives are going to be totally out of work. I think they’re going to evolve, adapt, and, like they always do, get creative.
And while AI is mostly free (or freemium), for now, anyway, we might as well take advantage of it. After all, that probably won’t be the case forever. It feels a bit like we’re in the early “gold rush” phase of this technology: everyone’s experimenting, testing limits, figuring out how it fits into their workflow. And it’s all happening at virtually no cost. That’s huge.
We’re being handed access to powerful tools that, even just a few years ago, would’ve seemed like science fiction. So, if they can help lighten the load, speed up the tedious stuff, spark fresh ideas, or help small teams accomplish big things, why not use them?
It’s smart to make the most of this window while it’s still available. Realistically, at some point, the free version will be replaced by a price tag. The rules will tighten. The landscape will shift. But for now, while the gates are still wide open, there’s value in exploring what’s possible – with curiosity, caution, and eyes wide open.
For more than twenty years, Now Hear This has been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more. What challenges are you having in your creator career that we can lend some insight to? Connect with us so you can take advantage of all our experience, and we can help and keep you moving forward.