How to Keep Being Creative in the Age of AI

This is a story about writing. Or how we can continue to produce original ideas in the age of Artificial Intelligence(AI)-mediated content.

Like many of you, I'm a big fan of ChatGPT, Bard, DALL-E, Midjourney, and other Generative AI content tools. They are a boon to digital marketers and content creators like myself, significantly reducing the amount of time and effort needed to churn out a piece of content.

Their capabilities are impressive, to say the least. From content ideation, image generation, to script writing, ad copywriting, article editing — the sky is the limit.

Naturally, they still need that human touch (thank God). Yes, even the best prompts and custom settings cannot completely replace a person's experience.

Or can they?

Eventually, perhaps AI tools could, as their deep learning capabilities expand far beyond human comprehension.

The bigger challenge I see is one that strikes at the heart of human ingenuity. With the repeat use of 'shortcut' technologies, our brains may end up stagnating.

As it is, the rise of the Internet has made it virtually impossible for us to remember anything. Learning becomes googling. Writing becomes posting. Photos become Instagrammable shots. Videos turn into 'stories' and 'reels'.

With AI rising to the forefront, our natural inclination is to harness them to speed up our work, and eliminate tedious rote work. Use them to compile information, summarize pointers, debug code, inspire designs, or repurpose content.

However, with increasing dependence on these intermediaries, our brains are likely to be rewired. This could include the realignment of our neural networks to facilitate quick and easy access to information at our fingertips, possibly diminishing our capacities for critical thinking.

What should we then do to arrest this alarming state of cognitive decline?

The answer? Switch back to 'harder' and more manual ways of doing work.

Now, I'm not telling you to pick up an axe to chop down firewood. Or to chase down an urban chicken for your dinner.

Rather, I'm advocating that we spend some time every day thinking, journaling and reflecting on what we've learned. Make it a focused period where we keep all distractions at bay — digital or otherwise. Use it to brainstorm solutions to a nagging problem, or jot down your thoughts on an issue of significance.

This regular exercise helps to sharpen our minds while crystallising our voice. It forces us to think coherently and sequentially, in a logical step-by-step fashion. It compels us to reach deep within the recesses of our cranium, drawing upon wellsprings of knowledge, experience and insight buried beneath tonnes of digital clutter.

(And yes, this is precisely what I'm doing at this very moment.)

To make it work, it'd be better not to have a specific agenda for this activity. Keep it free-wheeling, footloose and fancy-free. Let serendipity weave its unpredictable magic.

Allow your train of thought to pick any track it wishes — even going off-the-beaten-track if need be. Relish randonmness, and eschew conventions.

And if you're derailed by digital distractions, don't chide yourself. Gently draw your attention back to the task at hand.

Thereafter, continue to work on your original piece of writing, word by word, sentence by sentence, page by page.

Do you have a regular habit of putting pen to paper or of creating something original? Share your thoughts with me here.