AI promises speed and simplicity - but in outsourcing thinking, creativity, and visual communication to algorithms, we risk losing the human nuance behind meaning-making. Like a high-interest credit card, the convenience comes with a hidden cost: loss of expertise, ethical erosion, and the atrophy of true creative practice.
AI is mind-blowing. When I studied fine art back in the 80s, the idea that a machine could generate a credible artwork, mimic a voice, or eloquently write on demand would have felt like pure science fiction. The possibilities AI unlocks seemingly endless.
However…
AI is like a High Interest Credit Card, and it seems we are swiping faster and faster, with reckless abandon…
… Generating content, automating our decisions, offloading tasks… outsourcing our thinking and creativity for the sake of speed and efficiency…
AI offers speed, ease, and tempting shortcuts, but the cost is quietly compounding, and the interest is high… There will be consequences…
As we outsource thinking, creativity, and judgment, we risk forgetting how to think, create, and discern for ourselves...
It feels like we are building an over-reliance on opaque systems we do not understand…
Fragile foundations - we prioritise quick wins over structural integrity... and that’s how cracks form - slowly at first, then all at once…
We allow algorithms to decide for us without questioning the assumptions or source. There is an ethical erosion as we mine the thought leadership of others and present it as our own expertise...
Like using credit to fund a lifestyle we can’t afford, AI simulates progress without us having to do the vital foundational work.
Interest accrues in the form of bias, skills stagnation, trust erosion and creative atrophy…
And eventually there will be a price to pay…
Obviously, I have a creative industries bias, as a Visual Communicator, Graphic Recorder and Artist, but ultimately there isn’t an industry that won’t be impacted by AI.
I’m not for a moment suggesting that we shouldn’t use AI, just that we use it wisely, thoughtfully and with our eyes wide open.
So, what are we borrowing against?
What are we surrendering for the sake of convenience?
And who will ultimately pay… and at what cost?...
