Why should aspiring authors embrace AI? Can it enhance creativity and boost productivity?
“AI is the most important issue shaping society today and for the next century.” – Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.
We’re seeing an unprecedented rapid shift in technology and growth in AI. So here’s an idea for the not-so-distant future (say 2024 or 2025), the future of writing. Besides simply being aware of the possibilities with AI, start embracing AI. Understand what’s coming. It could create new side hustles, which aspiring authors can do from anywhere.
Companies in many industries all over the world have shifted away from hands-on jobs to “no-touch” systems by using robots, AI, and technology. They embrace AI. As the Wall Street Journal reports, in Logistics Operators Find Robots Are Helping Recruit Tech-Savvy Workers, the shift has created new jobs for “managing the technology.” We can, obviously, expect to see new tech management positions in all industries where AI and technology are growing, including AI for art and the future of writing.
Hear me out, ok?
Many artists and art lovers, of course, reject AI art as not being “real art.” Perhaps it’s not (that’s another discussion). But non-artists will embrace AI. As more of them do, AI art could replace a lot of designers or certainly create a lot more competition for them. It will also create new jobs, as all technological advancements have done.
As in other industries, the shift to technology and AI, the art and publishing industries will see new jobs created (or new career fields). The new careers will require unique skill sets, ones that combine AI know-how with artistic design skills or the craft of writing. (Some may argue writing is an art, not a craft. That’s for a different discussion.)
Embrace AI NOW
Anyone can create images with AI art on Dall-E2, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion. Just as anyone can create written content with ChatGPT. But unless a person can craft a prompt or query based on artistic skill or writing know-how, the output is often just junk. Although it’s rapidly improving, the text output currently might be ok, but with art, it’s often not usable for anything beyond personal entertainment. Creating “art” with AI might feed an addiction like scrolling through Instagram. It’s fun. That’s okay, while AI art is still new. Writing with AI is equally challenging and entertaining.
However…
The FUTURE of Writing
When the novelty and entertainment value has worn off and when the output improves—we’ll see changes. AI for art and Chatbots for writing are mostly free for now. Even with the pro or plus versions, they’re less expensive than hiring a designer or a wordsmith. Non-artistic or those less creative will want to use AI art and writing for commercial purposes: ads, games, graphic novels, comic books, book covers, and other endless ideas across the world.
Those same people who want to use AI for art or writing will often not have the skill sets needed to create quality output. As Joanna Penn suggests in her Creative Penn podcast, Using AI For Art, Images, And Book Covers With Derek Murphy), they’ll need someone to do it for them (at least until the AI can do that, too, which is happening as I’m writing).
While AI can help generate ideas and insights, it can’t replace human creativity. The non-creatives need creative people with three skill sets.
- Prompts/Queries. The ability to make better, more artistically worded prompts, ones that produce desirable and useful image outputs. Most everyday users will give up trying to create what they need. They don’t know how to word the prompts to get good results from AI. It’s currently far too time-consuming, and even annoying, for them as they keep re-spinning or re-generating prompts, yet not getting the results they want. They settle or simply give up creating prompts.
- Enhancement. The ability to take an AI image output up another notch or two by tweaking or enhancing it in an image manipulation program (such as Photoshop, GIMP, or Affinity). Image management is a skill set others don’t have time to learn or have no interest in learning. Writing well also requires a skill set, the craft of writing many AI users don’t have. Even if they do learn the craft, without the third part of the skill set it doesn’t work well.
- Artistic Eye. Most importantly, the everyday AI user doesn’t have the competence to see things as an artist or author does. People might be able to notice what is a good piece of writing when they see it, but they may not know how to produce it. The “eye” for what’s needed makes all the difference in a finished product. It’s why people hire artists and writers.
AI is most effective when used in collaboration with humans, so authors and artists will need to be comfortable working with AI tools and integrating them into their creative process. At the very least, writers, along with artists, should become familiar with AI and what it’s capable of producing.
Embrace AI as a writer. AI can help you develop an outline for your next blog or produce plot ideas for your next book. It can help you craft more engaging titles. AI can help you create concepts for book covers. You can then share the concept with a cover designer or AI art specialist. This can make it easier when you’re communicating what you want on your book’s cover.
In order to be better prepared in the next few years, now is the time to embrace AI. Learn more about how AI works, its strengths and limitations, the various AI tools, and best practices. Stay up-to-date with the rapid changes. Use AI effectively and responsibly. Don’t violate any copyright or intellectual property laws (more on copyright issues in our blog: AI Assisting Authors—Good or Bad?)
AI tools can help you create original content faster and more efficiently. It’s important to remember that it’s still just a tool. You should always use your own judgment and creativity to ensure your content is high-quality, relevant, and engaging for your audience.
Don’t wait. Start today!
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