The fight for creativity

A noteworthy, seemingly new development is happening.

There is an increasingly emotionally-charged fight for the future of human creativity.

The debate was sparked initially by gradual advancements in the ability of artificial intelligence to create creative work that would normally have been done by people.

But today machines can create things that look just at good, quickly and at very little expense. People who traditionally work in fields that require significant amounts of human creativity are being sidelined in favour of AI-alternative. This development is being met with alarm and much anger - and some of that frustration is being directed at tech brands.

Apple's latest iPad ad struck a bit of a nerve in this regard, forcing the company to issue and apology and a retraction.

'Critics online called the new ad wasteful and disrespectful. Some were upset that Apple appeared to be destroying perfectly good art supplies while most were more offended that it devalued the more analog ways of creating art — especially when tools like AI are being used to automate things like writing, music and illustration.'

At the same time brands like Lego and Crayola are alternatively using this momentum to build an image that they are also a part of this fight, but on the other side.

40 years ago, Crayola began collecting children's artwork. The art was displayed in museums and galleries across the country. Now, decades later, we're returning the art to the kids who created it. We're sharing their inspiring stories to show the lifelong impact creativity can have. Our hope is that together, we can create more creative moments for all children.

Creativity as a significant part of what makes us human and what makes the human experience worthwhile. When this aspect of our lives is colonised by capitalist invaders for the purposes of extracting 'shareholder value' - something is bound to snap in the minds of people.

This is of course a debate which has only just begun, but already emotions are being stoked as we are starting to get a clearer picture of what the future of this particular path may look like for all of us.

There are obviously no certainties here, but Apple is a brand that was the building block on which a lot of creative work was built. To have it now turn around and show a different future to the same people that it once served, is a bit of a shock.

The fight for creativity is far more than just a fight for people's livelihoods - it's a battle for the human spirit. And human don't give up their spirit so easily.