Reevaluating My Relationship with AI
Hmm… maybe I've been a little hAIsty. I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong—or at least when I've been a bit narrow-minded. Like many creatives, I take pride in my skills, so when a technology threatens to turn my skills into a commodity, it's easy to feel a little defensive. I mean, isn't that a natural reaction? Not to sound judgy, but if you're not concerned about it, maybe you don't care all that much about what you do.
But here's the twist…lately, I've discovered real value in AI. No, it's not "revolutionizing" my work, but it's certainly making my life a bit easier in areas I could never say I love. Tasks that used to take up time—time I'd rather spend creating—are now easier and faster, thanks to AI. And despite all the hype, I've come to see AI as just another tool in my creative toolbox. Sorry, AI; you're helpful, but nothing "earth-shattering" here.
That said, here's where AI has found its niche for me. It's ideal for filling in the gaps:
- Drafting bios when I can't find much info or when there's so much that sifting through it would take hours.
- Writing personal blog posts or quick web copy based on my thoughts and input.
- Crafting meta descriptions or straightforward copy when my time is better spent elsewhere.
- Refocusing my thought process to get back on track creatively, especially when I'm working solo.
I'll admit, though, AI still has its irritating sides. I'm not thrilled with Adobe for pushing AI features every time I open an update—though I'm fully aware of the irony, given that Content-Aware Fill is an incredible time saver. And don't get me started on AI-generated "art" that's a mishmash of other artists' work; there's nothing creative or respectful about that.
But beyond the frustrations, I'm finding real, practical uses for AI every day. It's a flexible tool I can pull in to speed things up—things that I’m moderately skilled at or sometimes I just don't feel like doing. It lets me stay focused on what I'm great at.
The bigger picture here? Everyone has a skill that makes them valuable and gives them purpose. And now, all those developers are making tools that could ultimately undermine their own work, too. AI's reach extends far beyond design and creativity—it's helping write code, queries, even whole scripts in PHP or MySQL. Everyone's in this together, facing both opportunity and irony.
I'm still figuring out what role AI plays in my work, but I'm realizing that its real strength is in enhancing, not replacing. With the right mindset, it's a tool that doesn't replace what I do; it amplifies it, letting me focus on what makes my work meaningful.
You might question the value of this post, its quality, or even its impact on creative work, but here's what you can't argue:
- In 40 minutes, I completed a task that would normally take several hours.
- You're here, reading it all the way to the end.
- My website traffic has increased.
Job done. Want a look behind the scenes? Here’s my process.
Prompted with detailed input by a human, written by AI, edited by a human (isn't this the new circle of life?) 😊