Human Creativity Will Thrive On [Not be Threatened by] Generative AI

Written By: Sabaa Quao

Creative professionals are often cast as inevitable casualties in the rise of generative AI. With tools and prompts enabling anyone to create art, music, literature, and design with minimal expertise, fears have emerged that seasoned creatives might be undermined or replaced by these prediction machines and technology.

Keep in mind that the dilution of the distinction between professionals and amateurs is a cliché that repeats itself in other industries. Who’s a real actor vs. who’s not? Or when it comes to art, think of the claim often made: “My 5-year-old could have done that!” Or “Everyone's a comedian” but of course few people are actually funny.

Now back to Generative AI and the fear that creativity is now being commodified… In reality, what’s unfolded since *November 30, 2022, is far more nuanced than that.

When creative goods and services become indistinguishable from one another, at first there will be pressure on price. However, creative marketing and advertising agencies are now greatly incentivized to innovate and find ways to differentiate their offerings by adding value above and beyond the commodity. Let’s describe the “production” of marketing assets as commodities. Two years into the Generative AI era and the best marketing “ideas” arguably remain completely untouched by commodification.

I have been a juror in the Creativity in B2B category at the London International Awards (LIAs). What struck me, last year and this year, was how many of the most creative companies and their agencies pushed upstream and tackled innovation much earlier in the design thinking process. These firms applied their creativity long before the creation of any marketing assets. Deep knowledge about supply chains, distribution networks, manufacturing processes, and economics were often the source of the most memorable and sparkling insights.

Across dozens of campaigns, here’s what stood out. Professional creatives explored unique and expansive ideas that were far more valuable to clients than the production of the marketing assets:

• Improvisation: here’s a campaign for Spotify where every single piece of the idea was hard to execute. To the jury’s surprise and amusement, the case film pointed out that AI was not involved in any way in the production of this campaign. To code their way to creation of an animated music video — built in Excel — was masochistic and brilliant and valuable. We awarded a Grand LIA for Creativity in Business-to-Business for this work. *Notably, earlier this year at Cannes, the work won a Grand Prix award for Digital Craft… Craft! Ha!
• Lived Experience: the creative work for brewer AB InBev showed empathy and commitment to their retail partners (shopkeepers) by attending to their long term well-being. In Colombia, the creation of a Beer Retirement Account recognized the lived experience of many small business owners. 82% of shopkeepers will never be able to retire. Many must prioritize their daily expenses and are unlikely to be able to put aside any savings for the future. AI feels nothing when it comes to the anxiety of not having enough money for retirement.
• Moral and Ethical Judgment: In 2023, we awarded the Grand Lia for Creativity in Business-to-Business to AIZOME, a Japanese textile who developed a “dyeing method that uses only water, plants, and ultrasound, to create textiles that are not only less harmful, but even come with health benefits.” Textile dyeing is the world's second-largest polluter of water (World Economic Forum). The creativity tackled a societal issue with a depth of understanding and empathy that AI currently cannot match.

True Improvisation, with its creative spontaneity and emotional depth, remains a uniquely human trait. Lived Experience, shaped by personal history and subjective perception, is something AI cannot replicate. And when it comes to Moral and Ethical Judgment, rooted in reflection and empathy, these are far beyond the reach of generative AI systems, which operate on data and prediction rather than understanding or compassion.

About the Author: With over 30 years of experience, Sabaa Quao, Chief Creative and Innovation Officer, Cossette, is a creative leader, career entrepreneur, and business strategist. As a digital and social media veteran, he has built and grown several platforms and companies across the content, tech, and culture space.