Does AI Help or Hinder Human Creativity?

One of the key questions in the debate surrounding the use of generative AI is whether artificial intelligence threatens human creativity and communication — or enhances them.

There are legitimate concerns around copyright, attribution and misuse when generative AI is used to create content.

However, when used in the right way, advocates argue that AI can both enhance creativity and free up time for more human experiences.

For instance, in a recent study by creative software firm Adobe, 90% of creators said they believe generative AI tools can help them save time and money by taking over menial tasks and supporting creative brainstorming.

Additionally, 90% of creators also responded that they believe using GenAI tools can help generate new ideas.

And, surprisingly, it can humanize digital experiences when consumers interact with faceless companies.

Can AI set us free? Or will it take our jobs and replace the human connection?

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. How Businesses Can Use AI to Humanize the Digital Experience
3. Can AI Support Human Creativity?
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. How Businesses Can Use AI to Humanize the Digital Experience
3. Can AI Support Human Creativity?
Show Full Guide
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

How Businesses Can Use AI to Humanize the Digital Experience

Consumers increasingly expect their digital interactions with businesses to be personalized and consistent across multiple channels, from apps to in-store environments.

Personalization involves customizing the user experience based on their personal details, such as location, search history, and purchases, to create individualized interactions.

According to a survey by consulting firm McKinsey, around 71% of consumers expect to receive personalized content from businesses, and 76% of those consumers are frustrated when companies do not tailor their interactions.

AI can generate personalized experiences in almost real-time, customizing messaging, online stores, and services to individual consumers’ preferences.

Meanwhile, AI-powered tools can analyze customers’ data and learn from their behavior to provide authentic interactions and increase engagement.

Sara Faatz, Director of Technology Community Relations at AI-powered infrastructure software firm Progress, told Techopedia:

“AI is more than just a buzzword, and generative AI is becoming commonplace for companies that want to enhance and streamline their digital experiences.

“It may seem paradoxical to imagine that AI — which lacks human emotion — could improve the human aspect of a digital experience, but it can certainly do so.

“A human-centric experience is accessible and inclusive while also being personalized and responsive.

“It is incredibly important that digital experiences are human-centric, as customers are beginning to expect that AI provides personalized experiences that recognize them as human.”

According to the World Health Organization, inclusive, human-centric design can enhance accessibility for all people, not just the estimated 1.3 billion people globally who experience significant disability.

It can also help people who face temporary challenges in their digital interactions, such as a broken arm.

Businesses can use AI to create human-centric digital experiences in the following ways, according to Faatz:

Hyper-personalization can take this a step further by integrating real-time data, analytics, AI, and automation to gain deeper insights into consumer preferences and deliver relevant experiences at the most effective time.

In this way, businesses can ensure that their AI-powered systems are capable of delivering not only personalized but empathetic digital experiences.

While the current focus is on generative AI, businesses can use different forms of AI for different purposes.

For instance, they can use GenAI in the creative stage to develop new products and analytical AI in market research and to evaluate sales performance.

Can AI Support Human Creativity?

Dawa Tarchin Phillips, CEO of TAIWA, notes that humans are constantly challenged by time constraints and demands on our mental and emotional bandwidth, and we spend much of our lives struggling to manage them.

According to Phillips, it is “inhuman” to constrain humans to menial, repetitive tasks for employment or survival when there is technology available that can give us back time. AI can facilitate that, helping us to expand our creative pursuits.

Integrating AI into various systems can automate a range of basic and time-consuming tasks, while AI-driven data analytics and forecasting algorithms can facilitate better resource allocation.

AI can help in human creativity in various ways, from image generators suggesting patterns and visuals to inspire artists to AI algorithms customizing educational content to work at a student’s pace in a highly personalized way.

That said, the risks and ethics within AI need to be noted. Large language models (LLMs) are only as good as the data they are fed, which can result in stereotyping and discrimination.

Collecting and processing user data also raises concerns about how the data is collected, used, stored, and protected—especially when it involves personally identifiable information that may be vulnerable to theft or misuse.

And, naturally, the specter of hallucination still exists.

The Bottom Line

Almost daily, we hear news of how AI is taking jobs or freely reusing humanity’s work for commercial purposes.

These issues are important — it is a crucial debate. Yet it doesn’t discount the ethical and useful ways we can deploy AI, including automating basic tasks and freeing humans to engage in more creative and human interactions.

That may leave us with a very real problem, particularly when it disrupts the labor market.

Like most inventions, AI can be both a tool and a weapon. Taking a balanced view is crucial as we learn to adapt to its presence.

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