AI “art” can never outgrow human art, for which it needs creativity, and for that, it needs to be human, for which it's no longer AI.

Are you an artist and scared of AI too?

Do you feel as if AI will replace you?

Well, I’ll try my best to show you the light.

Disclaimer: You WILL feel hopeful by the end of this article.

Rise of AI Art

We all know how AI art was popularized during the lockdown, after which it only skyrocketed further.

Many people with jobs felt afraid of losing their employment to AI.

With the rapid development of ChatGPT, DALL-E, Meta AI, etc., artists feared not only losing their jobs but also their identity.

AI art quickly turned into an existential threat for many artists, especially writers and painters.

Now it's like a race to the top of a mountain, where artists have to walk while AI takes a cable car.

New artists start the climb every day, but as their eyes fall on the cable cars, they consider themselves unlucky and a failure.

So, is it the end for artists?

Not at all — in fact, AI is just another copycat. And ever since there have been artists, there have been their copycats, too.

See, the way an AI language model works is by collecting data from the internet and replicating it.

The best example is AI Ghibli “art.”

It’s so accurate that Hayao Miyazaki (the legendary animator of Studio Ghibli) himself has condemned AI and expressed clear frustration.

Let’s not drag it further and come straight to the point.

AI may be able to replicate things quite accurately, but it cannot create new content.

Now, if you think turning random images into Ghibli-style animation is creating new ones, then you couldn’t be more mistaken.

We already have filters on social media apps — they can make you look like a film character, an anime character, a sketch, and so on.

But does that mean the film or anime industry is going bankrupt?

Does that mean sketches are worthless now?

Of course not. These industries spend millions of dollars to bring their ideas to life, and they gross even more.

I don’t have to explain this; you can see it all around you.

What’s the solution?

There are sketch artists who earn through YouTube, Instagram, websites, etc.

They are recognized for their unique style.

Emphasis on the word “unique.”

Everyone can create content, but only a few can make it unique. Those are the ones we call artists.

You can easily tell apart the poems written by Shakespeare in a vast sea of poems.

People watch different YouTube channels because each one has a different way of presenting, a different personality.

Multiple news channels coexist because of people's preferences.

We all have different favorite singers, authors, YouTubers, etc.

Why do we prefer them? Because, as the audience, we find their voice unique and better.

So as long as you can come up with something that’s unique to you, you will prosper as an artist, and no one can replace you.

Simply put: Even a broken piece of glass can reflect the stars, but by no means does that mean it has achieved the vastness and the depth of the sky.

What about AI replicating the work of other artists?

This is an interesting topic, and often the reason aspiring artists lose motivation.

Let’s keep it simple: you all know MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) — the biggest YouTuber in the world.

Take his example. Yes, YouTubers are artists too.

There are countless copycats of him. They all format their content the same way, and even talk the same way.

But none of them have replaced Mr. Beast. Why?

Because MrBeast has a unique voice — genuine, not forced. He’s recognized for that kind of video.

The same goes for Shakespeare. He had a unique voice that was original to him.

AI can try to write like him, but it will always fall short.

Here’s another thing that instantly breaks the argument:

AI cannot create art!

It only makes mashups of pre-existing content on the internet and shows us several voices blended together.

It’s not unique. And because it relies on pre-existing content, it can never truly create something new.

As I said earlier, AI needs creativity to create original ideas — for that, it needs sentience — for that, it would need to be human — an Artist.

Coming back to Studio Ghibli

Yes, AI can replicate the visuals — so can any random person.

But it cannot create a compelling story, the smooth motion of Ghibli’s animation, and the human-like emotions that instantly melt your heart.

Ghibli Studio is known not just for its visual style but for its cathartic stories too. That’s why their work can never be replicated.

The same goes for writers. Even on this website, there are no AI writers — because they can tickle brains, but not hearts.

That’s the most important thing for an artist: you have to use emotions to your advantage.

We remember movies/shows not because we appreciated them, we felt them.

Everyone can make others understand things, but only a few can make them feel it.

You can use your own voice (no matter what kind of artist you are) and create cathartic pieces.

What if AI is using cable cars? You don’t even have to reach the top. Instead, turn towards your audience and take them to another mountain.

Why only mountains? Take them above the clouds, to scuba diving, to forests, to wherever you can imagine.

Let the AI reach the peak of the mountain — and stay there, alone.

When it comes to the clouds, you take your audience somewhere else — to the dreamland.

AI will keep chasing you. It learns from you — it can never lead.

We are fighting AI the wrong way. We burn ourselves climbing the same mountain as everyone else (including AI).

This way, not only AI but everyone else can take away your voice.

Don’t play the same game as your copycats.

Create your own games that they’ve never heard of.

Instead of following AI to places everyone has already visited, choose the place yourself.

That’s what uniqueness is — and that’s why you need a unique voice.

Let AI be the robot. Don’t become monotonous yourself.

Being an artist is all about being unique and original, and that can never be replicated by a copycat, by AI.

So don't worry about it anymore, AI will exist as just another notorious copycat. Just continue with your own voice and make it chase you.

AI can easily get into anyone’s brain, but only your unique voice can enter anyone's heart.

It can make people go, “That's bad.” But only you can make them cry and leave them speechless.

That's it, your fans don’t/won't appreciate you as an artist, they will love you.

Ever wondered why we don't forget our favourite singers, actors, authors, and other artists?

It's because they live in our hearts, not memories. Memories can be forgotten, but hearts never forget.

You are/can be like that for someone.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

Art can think what the mind can’t, feel what the heart can’t, speak what the tongue can’t, revive what life can’t, kill what a bullet can’t, live when time can’t, exist where space can’t, create what God can’t; but it is bound to what the artist can.

And you, my friend, are that artist.

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