Creativity in the Age of AI

 Vishü Rita KrochaEven as our world becomes increasingly driven by highly developed Artificial intelligence (AI), the boundary between AI and reality is rapidly blurring. There seems to be just a thin line separating the two. At the rate it is growing, it has almost become impossible to distinguish between content that is “real” and “artificial.” Our digital lives are flooded with this reality. And it can't just be a temporary phase because AI is expected to keep growing exponentially. But while AI can replicate human tone, and do a lot of other things, we also know that it lacks originality, emotional connection and genuine human experience. As a matter of fact, if you take a close look at all the AI contents flooding our digital spaces, whether it is a piece of writing, a work of art, an image, a song or a video, you also begin to see a pattern, and it’s all devoid of the real human connection.At the end of the day, it is just a tool that people either choose to embrace or ignore. Research indicates that AI can be of enormous help especially in terms of structuring vast amounts of data, and perhaps, it would do us well to use AI intensively wherever it can support us as a smart tool.But despite the way AI has invaded and impacted our lives, it still remains a tool, and nothing more. It cannot compete with human creativity. And this is something that humanity will always have and which, AI does not possess. It should continue to matter that we create from lived experiences.Human creativity matters more than ever in the age of artificial intelligence because only human beings can provide real emotions, real taste, real feelings, real connection and real 'everything'.We all value what is real. Real human experiences are what make us truly alive. Even in small instances like receiving a handmade card, or a handcrafted gift. The value associated with such things is always so much more valuable than what can be generated in a matter of seconds. As a writer rightly put it, “We don’t value human creations solely for their beauty or their price tag. We also value them because they embody deliberate labour and expertise.”Ultimately, it is not whether something is perfect that matters, but its ability to connect us with another human being that makes more sense even with all its imperfections. And this is something AI can never give us. With AI, perfection is easy. But being human is what we must consistently strive for.This is a guest editorial by Vishü Rita Krocha. She is the Publisher of PenThrill Publication and a senior journalist based in Kohima.