As a creative in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-driven world, the notion of art as a mere hobby has been ingrained in us from the moment we express any interest toward it. The earlier you identify as an artist, the more the world convinces you it’s just a phase. 

This burden weighs heavier as a Filipino, let alone in a third-world country. The false dilemma of passion versus practicality drives you into a corner and makes you believe that pursuing the arts is a one-way ticket to lifelong regret (and debt!). Well, of course, this is not particularly relatable if you are privileged enough not to worry about the impending doom of bills, loans, and other “real-world” responsibilities. Unfortunately, only a handful live that opportunity, and most probably take it for granted. 

Artists of this generation not only battle with themselves and the people around them, but also the rapidly evolving force of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As if dealing with people and their oh-so-sweet judgments isn’t difficult enough, now the creative industry is challenged by something bound to be smarter than humans.

A world without science would be a world full of questions, but a world without art would be completely meaningless.

 To quote one of the most iconic lines in cinema, Robin Williams as John Keating in Dead Poets Society (1989) said, “Medicine, law, business, engineering—these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love… these are what we stay alive for.” 

If there’s anything that makes us distinct from any other living being on Earth, it’s our capacity to express and deepen our passions—through art. 

Although invented by humans, AI does not possess the essence of being one. Britannica defines it as “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.” In other words, it’s a programmed machine that is continuously being fed a variety of information, or prompts as they would call it, to generate answers and carry out complex tasks. Though rich in logic, it utterly lacks the capability to feel. It cannot appreciate and emotionally connect with the things it learns about—a characteristic essential in fostering creativity. Despite this, there is a looming reality of such technology slowly dominating—replacing even—the creative industry. 

One cannot deny how the introduction of AI has kick-started an exponential growth of knowledge and has eased the lives of many. As cliché as it may be, change is indeed the only inevitable thing in the world. It is not intrinsically evil, but in turn, it should always be progressive. The rise of different AI-powered tools, especially visual art generators, lures people in due to the convenience it brings, given its accessibility and cost-free advantage. However, it greatly demoralizes and affects artistic fields comprised of real human individuals who pour literal blood, sweat, and tears into every piece they make. As an artist myself, I find it especially insulting how the tool that’s supposedly “more convenient” and a “better alternative” to make art is fundamentally built upon numbers; binary codes, to be exact. At the end of the day, we are all hopelessly stuck in an endless cycle of circling back to the STEM side of things. 

On a greater scale, there is an absurd irony outlining the underappreciation of human-made art. The earliest recorded artworks created by Upper Palaeolithic Europeans date back to at least 30 millennia ago. Since then, humans have mastered various forms of art, paving the way for a vibrant world such as today, yet are still undervalued despite the rich history behind their craft. In contrast, it only took five decades for AI-produced visual material to saturate the world and pique the majority’s interests. 

Take this opportunity to think about how unfair it seems for a tradition passed down by thousands of generations to be under the threat of replacement, even worse, completely forgotten. We hope too much for a world full of colour, but strip artists of valuing their creative freedom. I have no intention of starting a debate of relevancy between science and art, but am simply an artist pleading to be heard about the current creativity crisis we face today. 

Originally published in Heraldo Filipino Volume 39, Issue 2