There’s been a lot of discussion lately about AI – when it will take over and who will lose their jobs because of it.
According to many experts, even the design profession is no longer safe. I agree with this to some extent. In the same way desktop publishing killed off the bread and butter work of designers, like corporate newsletters, in the late 1980s, AI will do the same for low level design work, like simple production art and building webpages.
This is a good thing.
More recent chatter states even higher level thinking that creative people bring to the table is at risk of being taken over by machines, too. This I do not believe.
Creativity is largely about seeing new connections between previously unrelated things. But that is only part of the definition. Seeing the connections is merely the impetus for creativity. Being able to discern whether or not something will work is where the loop gets closed, and I do not believe a machine can solve that part of the problem. I believe this because these new relationships are most likely totally irrational. At least the best ideas are. And machines are rational thinkers.
Don’t get me wrong. I”m all for artificial intelligence helping us get things done. Modern life is quickly becoming increasingly more challenging and anything that will help alleviate some of this added pressure is wonderful.
I cannot wait for autonomous cars to be a part of our everyday lives, allowing me to make the most of my time rather than wasting it mindlessly sitting behind the steering wheel getting my car through morning rush hour. This is a prime example of a use for AI. But driving is not a creative problem, it is a rote task. Solving those kinds of problems adds more value to people’s lives.
This is a good thing.