AI vs Creatives
On July 6, 2026, I retired after 34 years working in the Information Technology industry. Towards the end of my career, I certainly had exposure to Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and have seen both the pitfalls and benefits of AI and its impact on business and people.
As a visual artist I am also impacted by this technology. AI offers powerful creative tools, but it also raises significant concerns for visual artists, writers, and musicians. While AI can improve productivity and open new creative possibilities, many creators are worried about its impact on their livelihoods, ownership of their work, and the future of creative professions.
In discussion with fellow artists across many disciplines, I have heard concerns regarding AI tools and models using copyrighted works without creators’ permission for training, work used by AI models should at least require compensation for the artist, AI-generated content can be produced quickly and inexpensively, potentially replacing commissioned work and the end consumer not knowing the work they are supporting / purchasing is AI-generated.
As an individual, I can appreciate the look and appeal of an AI-generated image and acknowledge that there is a growing market for this type of product. However, as an artist I have an issue when paper or canvas prints are sold without full disclosure that it was created by AI. Even if the AI image was touched up with a traditional graphics package, it is still an AI product.
What about using AI to create a reference image to paint? I would have to know the models used didn’t use copyright material without permission. If that were known, then no issue as the artist is using a brush and paint to create the painting by hand, the source of the image then isn’t relevant.
Where can AI help an artist? Well, my website has tools that enables the use of AI plugins to help manage the content, do posts, provide statistics etc. These few examples would take hours / days in some cases that now takes only minutes giving me more time to do what I really love, paint. It also can be used to search for opportunities, markets, etc that Artists can apply to participate in. Again, a time saving benefit. For some, AI has helped with the creation of artist portfolio, artists statements and painting descriptions to name a few document outcomes that all artists at some point will need.
Supporters of AI use in the arts world (visual arts, music, writing) say that rather than replacing human creativity entirely, AI is likely to become another tool—similar to photography, digital illustration, or music production software. The greatest value will often come from creators who combine their originality, experience, and emotional insight with AI’s ability to accelerate parts of the creative process.
Do I use AI? I clearly do, but only to aid with the business of art, not in the creation of it.
So, what would I like to see? I would like to see greater transparency about AI-generated content, Labels identifying AI-generated media and stronger copyright protections for all artists to protect their work for starters.
For communities such as local visual artist collectives, the challenge will be balancing innovation with protecting artists’ rights, ensuring that human creativity remains recognized, fairly compensated, and central to the cultural landscape.
AI is here to stay and while I would like all art lovers to only buy art crated by human hands, I would ask that if that were important to you that you take the time to inquire if the artwork you are looking at was AI-generated and then make your purchase decision.