The AI centipede

With Halloween right around the corner, we couldn't help but spin up more horror films in our downtime to get in the mood. Now, I am already not a body horror fan, but one film that especially got under my skin was The Human Centipede. For those who haven't seen the film, let me spare you the details and just say that the gimmick here is the grotesque imagery, where individuals are literally sewn together in a single link of consumption and output.

As disturbing as that was, I couldn't help but see my fear that AI-generated content, if left unchecked, could form a similar loop of self-referential, repetitive, and homogenized output.

This year alone, the digital world has become flooded with content, much of it created or curated by artificial intelligence. I can't seem to shake all the AI-generated content now everywhere on YouTube or social media. All of it looks the same—a chopped-up, digested mess that comes out of generative AI quick thrown together by prosaic scenarios like "what if the characters in Friday the 13th were played by Sesame Street puppets?"

As more AI-generated content gets uploaded, it becomes part of the data pool that future AIs will draw from, generating new content that is often derivative of the work they helped create. In this scenario, AI is essentially "eating its own tail," producing and consuming a repetitive cycle of information. This closed loop can aggressively degrade digital content's quality, originality, and diversity.

Ironically, the human role in this nihilistic future is the last of the chain. I don't know about you, but that is a rough deal.

Overcome Creative Blocks

One of AI's biggest strengths is its ability to process vast amounts of data and combine disparate concepts uniquely. When brainstorming, AI can suggest connections or combinations you may have yet to consider initially. For example, AI-driven tools can analyze trends, patterns, and existing works to propose novel combinations of themes, visuals, or narratives.

You can generate an array of potential directions by inputting key themes or ideas into an AI model, which you can then evaluate and refine. This can be especially useful for overcoming creative blocks, as AI often presents ideas without the constraints of human biases or preconceptions.

Deep Research and Discovery

AI tools are excellent for quickly gathering and organizing vast amounts of research material, allowing creators to focus on synthesizing and drawing conclusions rather than spending hours on manual searches. Whether you're a writer, artist, or designer, AI can comb through online archives, academic papers, images, and even social media to curate information relevant to your project. It can identify trends, themes, or gaps in your research, offering new insights that could take your work in unexpected directions.

For instance, if you're writing a screenplay about a historical figure, AI can help you quickly pull up historical data, biographical details, and even niche publications that are hard to find otherwise. In creative fields like design, AI can analyze visual trends in art, fashion, or architecture, offering inspiration for your work.

AI as a Catalyst, not a Replacement

The key to using AI effectively for creative research and brainstorming is treating it as a catalyst for creativity, not a replacement for the final product. AI can assist in generating ideas and exploring possibilities, but it shouldn't substitute human judgment, originality, or the creative process itself. For instance, AI can rapidly suggest ideas, prompts, or even mood boards, but it's up to the human creator to refine, reinterpret, and evolve those suggestions into something meaningful.

Don't be the Butt

The oversaturation of AI-generated content may seem like a distant problem now, but the risk of the AI Centipede is real. And we, the consumers, are ultimately the ones who get the short end of the stick.

Breaking this chain requires us to demand originality and support environments that foster creativity. Generative AI is a powerful tool, but we must maintain the balance between its capabilities and human ingenuity. Unless, of course, you are ready to be the butt of the AI chain. That's far more terrifying than any ghouls and goblins of the season.