AI is not creative; the human race is: Will AI replace humans in the future?

The first time AI met the human race, it had a tremendous impact on our society, the fear of losing jobs and how to generate income was imminent.

The unbelievable growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed many industries. From machine learning to natural language processing, AI is an incredible tool for research. AI is not truly gifted in its own right. Imagination is only human, and it’s exciting to see how AI can complement our ingenious processes. Originality is all about our emotions, experiences and ability to think in new ways.

AI platforms can generate new content from a database, compose music, write poetry and even design. It does so using existing data. While it can’t develop new ideas, have personal experiences, or demonstrate deep feelings, it is still an incredible tool that can assist us in making decisions based on data. This article delves into why creativity is an exclusive human talent and why, despite its many abilities, AI can only replicate what we do.

The Illusion of AI Creativity

The amazing potential of AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL·E, and DeepDream is truly incredible. They can produce text, images, and music that appear so creative! While these outputs are generated by analysing and combining pre-existing patterns, it’s astonishing how AI algorithms could lead to new ideas. It might not fully grasp the context of its creations or the emotions they evoke, it’s fascinating to see the potential for these tools to bring about new and exciting content.

When AI writes a poem, it’s incredible! It predicts word sequences based on a vast database of literature. It doesn’t have to cope with the complex human emotions of love, loss, and joy that weave their approach into our hearts and souls. And if an AI-generated painting might look beautiful, it doesn’t have the same intentionality or unique perspective as a human artist.

What is Creativity? A Human-Centric Concept

Creativity is the ability to produce ideas or artefacts that are novel, valuable and surprising. Margaret Boden, a cognitive science researcher, highlights three essential elements of creativity: originality (novelty), usefulness (value) and unexpectedness (surprise). While AI can simulate these qualities, it lacks the intrinsic motivations and subjective experiences that drive human creativity.

The Role of Emotion and Experience

Human creativity is deeply rooted in emotion, personal experience, and cultural context:

• A novelist draws from life experiences to craft compelling characters and narratives.
• A painter manipulates emotions into abstract or representational art.
• A musician composes melodies that resonate with shared human feelings like joy, sorrow, or nostalgia.

AI operates on data-driven algorithms. It can analyse patterns in pre-existing datasets to generate outputs, although it cannot feel or interpret emotions. The meaning of this concept is “creations” lack the depth and authenticity that characterise human art. It’s captivating to see how different approaches in AI can lead to new and exciting creations.

AI’s Limitations: Why It Falls Short of True Genius

1- Dependence on Pre-Existing Data

AI models are trained on vast datasets of human-created content, which is incredible! While this dependence means that AI cannot yet create anything genuinely original, it is still an achievement that it can recombine elements from its training data.

• AI-generated art often mimics styles from famous painters because it has been trained on their works.
• Text-based AI tools generate prose by synthesising language patterns found in books, articles, or scripts.

This reliance on existing material is an opportunity to create a “closed-loop” system where AI outputs are genetically derivative. Humans can conceptualise entirely new ideas and break free from established norms, but AI is confined by its programming.

2- Lack of Intent and Purpose

Human creativity is driven by intent to communicate a message, recall an emotion, or solve a problem. Artists create with purpose; inventors innovate to address challenges. AI is still in its early stages and has a long way to go before it can match the creativity of the human mind. Its gains are generated based on prompts or commands, it’s good to see how it can still surprise us with its lack of peculiar motivation or understanding.

• When an AI generates a painting, it does not “intend” to express beauty or provoke thought.
• When it writes a poem, it does not “feel” the emotions it describes.

Without intent or purpose, AI’s productivity shortfalls the meaningful connection that defines true creativity.

3- Absence of Risk-Taking

Ingenuity is such a thrilling part of life! It’s about taking risks, trying new techniques, breaking the mould and exploring what’s out there. Humans embrace uncertainty and learn from failure, which leads to groundbreaking innovations. AI operates within predefined parameters and cannot take risks. Its outputs are optimised for efficiency and accuracy, allowing it to excel in specific tasks.

The Emotional Core of Inspiration

Emotion is a crucial part of creativity, it’s something we should celebrate! It’s incredible how it fuels artistic expression, storytelling, and problem-solving. Human creators draw from their experiences, battles, and emotions to produce work that vibrates with others. AI doesn’t have that emotional spark. When it processes data mechanically, human originality is and will always remain unique, with its ability to innovate and think outside the box.

Think about music composition! When Beethoven composed his symphonies, he poured his struggles, triumphs and emotions into his work, and the results were incredible. An AI program can generate symphonies in Beethoven’s style, but it does so without feeling or purpose. It doesn’t compose because it has something to express—it does because it has been trained to recognise patterns in classical music.

Embracing AI as a Collaborative Tool

AI can be a powerful tool for helping human creativity. AI can assist artists, writers, and musicians by providing suggestions, automating repetitive tasks, and generating ideas based on prompts. However, the final creative decisions always rest with humans.

AI assists design and helps graphic designers explore new visual styles. Musicians use AI to experiment with new compositions, but emotional depth and storytelling remain human responsibilities. Writers may use AI tools to refine their drafts, but the essence of storytelling—character development, plot, and themes—requires human ingenuity.

The Philosophical Perspective: Can AI Ever Be Creative?

Just imagine: one day, AI could be capable of creating things like we do. But creativity is about more than just having new ideas. It also means understanding what things mean, why they exist, and the human experience. No matter how advanced AI becomes, it will always be limited by the data and programming it is based on.

Even if it could copy creativity better, it would still be a copy rather than something new. A computer might “paint” a masterpiece, but it does so without intention, emotion, or the subjective experience that makes art truly meaningful.

The Future: Collaboration Between Humans and AI

Rather than fearing AI’s capabilities, we should embrace it as a collaborative tool. The best creative works of the future will likely result from human-AI collaboration, where AI enhances but does not replace human creativity. The future of AI lies in augmentation rather than substitution, and this is something to be celebrated.

Writers can use it to brainstorm ideas, artists can use it to experiment with new styles, and musicians can use it to compose variations—but the heart of creativity will always be human. Instead of fearing AI, we should be excited to see it as a tool to expand human potential.

AI is not creative. The human race is.

Author: George Martin's

…and yet I tell amazing stories to the world. Technical Writing: Beyond coding, I excel in making intricate subjects accessible and engaging. My technical writing prowess ensures that both development teams and end-users are on the same page, fostering clear and effective communication. Fashion writing: I create engaging stories about fashion and beauty, micro websites for fashion campaigns, and fashion copywriting. I am also a Fashion Designer. Copywriting & Email Marketing Expert: I create compelling copy that captures attention and drives action. From persuasive web content to engaging email campaigns, my writing skills help businesses connect with their audience and achieve their marketing goals. Leadership & Mentorship: I have successfully led and mentored teams, guiding them through development and integration projects. From ideation to execution, I manage projects with a keen eye for detail, ensuring that the final product not only looks great but performs flawlessly. Lifelong Learner: My passion for learning drives me to stay ahead in this fast-paced industry. I am constantly seeking new ways to enhance my skills and embrace emerging technologies, always ready to adapt and grow. Collaborative Innovator: Thriving in collaborative environments, I combine technical expertise with effective communication to achieve outstanding results. My leadership...