The Fading Echo of Creativity

Let's be honest — how many times have you found yourself with an assignment due at 11:30 PM, scrambling to finish it, only to turn to your trusted companion, ChatGPT, to help you get it done? If the answer is "many times," don't worry — you’re not alone. With Artificial Intelligence (further referred to as AI) tools like ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Meta becoming increasingly ubiquitous, the world is slowly turning into a barren land where our usage of technology is becoming increasingly common. This is occurring at the cost of critical thinking and creativity. While these tools certainly offer assistance, allowing tasks to be completed conveniently and rapidly, they also indirectly encourage procrastination and a lack of engagement with our assignments and tasks. This effect is growing rapidly within our generation’s young minds, particularly students, as it has created a sense of dependency.

To understand this issue, we must first consider the gradual yet profound effect AI is having on us, particularly on younger individuals. Previously, creativity was referred to as a unique human quality, derived from our imaginations, often regarded as less vulnerable to the technological changes in our world. However, with Generative AI, applications like Meta and Bing are threatening our imaginative work. With creative work and ideas like coding, stories, and poetry simply lying at the edge of our fingertips, one prompt away, one can truly see the diminishing innovation in our future. These tools are designed to be user-friendly, requiring no technical expertise. They are so intuitive that even young children can easily use them to create unique and original pieces. The focus on the younger generation is due to their strong imagination and ability to think creatively. Kids often think outside the box, which helps them see things from new perspectives. Due to the growing usage of Generative AI within their generation, their ability to present unique ideas and think differently is slowly fading. This trend could have profound economic consequences, as innovation is essential for societal progress. For the world to evolve, we need innovators and problem-solvers. On the other hand, due to the rise of recent technology, we are killing the spirit of creativity and innovation in the upcoming generation, which could lead to a lack of advancement in our world.

So, what can we do to address this issue? First, AI should be viewed as a tool with inherent limitations. It is crucial to understand how to use this technology to our advantage. One of the primary functions of AI should be to assist with mundane tasks. For example, in graphic design, it can handle repetitive tasks such as organizing files, setting up templates, or generating basic structures. This allows individuals to focus on making their work unique and creatively distinct. Another aspect of AI is that we can use it to analyze our work and provide constructive feedback regarding it. Feedback can help you refine your ideas while leaving room for your creative judgment. It can even help encourage us to move outside of our comfort zone: to try new techniques!

In conclusion, despite this technology having its flaws, if we can find a way to rectify these issues, we can truly use Artificial Intelligence to our advantage. By setting limits, and understanding the true potential of these tools, we can find a way to move toward a greater and brighter future. As Harvard’s Business Review mentioned, “Generative AI’s greatest potential is not replacing humans; it is to assist humans in their individual and collective efforts to create hitherto unimaginable solutions”.