AI & Inspiration: Best Tips to Incorporate Artificial Intelligence Into Your Creative Process

by Kelsey Arrington on Feb 02, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many industries and the creative sector is no exception. From visual arts to music, AI is influencing the way creative professionals approach their practice and its unlocking new possibilities for innovative expression. Think about it for a moment. Those who work in creative fields can leverage the latest AI technologies to streamline and automate routine tasks, generate new ideas, and create works of art. In this article, we’ll explore how individuals can incorporate AI into creatives processes and discuss best practices for using artificial intelligence in a way that inspires, rather than replaces, one’s own creativity and artistic skill set. Whether you’re a photographer, graphic designer, filmmaker, writer, or other type of creative pro, you’ll find valuable insights about how to harness the power of AI to take your ideas to the next level. Just keep reading.

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Best Practices for Incorporating AI into a Creative Process

Begin with a clear understanding of your goals. If you’re on the fence about using artificial intelligence or just want to ensure that you’re implementing it ethically, it helps to begin with a clear goal. So, prior to making it a staple in your creative process, get clear about what you want to achieve with AI and what outcomes you desire.
Consider AI a tool, not a replacement. Remember artificial intelligence was built by humans and designed to be an assistive tool. It is not a replacement for one’s own creativity. Your ideas, imagination, and skills are still the most important aspects of your work.
Remember that data is important. AI algorithms are trained on data, so it’s important to input high-quality and diverse data for the AI systems to learn from and generate the best results.
Experiment, continuously. Everyday artificial intelligence technology advances. So, it’s a good idea to experiment with AI tools often – especially tools for image generation and image recognition, as those are evolving rapidly.
Keep ethics in mind. As AI continues to evolve and is increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it’s important to be mindful of the ethical implications behind using it. So, consider how you’re using it in your creative process, what type of content creation it is being designated for and what steps you should take to communicate when an AI-generated image is on display.

Essential Tips for Drawing Inspiration from Artificial Intelligence

Image generated using MidJourney AI prompt: supplies for a designer, sitting on a teal desk, cinematic lighting

Artificial intelligence is undoubtedly powerful, however, we urge you to not be intimidated by it. Instead, embrace it as a digital tool that can be used for research and inspiration. After all, recent advancements in tech have empowered artists, designers, and anyone else with a creative thought to test out their best ideas by imputing a simple text prompt.

It’s obvious that AI is here to stay. So, here are some insights to help you leverage artificial intelligence for your own work.

Use AI instead of creating thumbnails.

AI tools that run on generative algorithms and sophisticated neural networks can be used to come up with new ideas or expand on existing ones. So, why not make AI a part of your creative process? Depending on what industry you work in, AI tools can be used to streamline repetitive and time-consuming tasks such as creating thumbnails.

Approach new technology with curiosity.

Many artists and designers are not fond of artificial intelligence tools. And while we can’t tell you what to think of this new technology, we implore you to give it a chance. AI is changing the way we think about creative processes, artistic applications, and imagination. So, it’ll help to stay up to date with the latest AI tools (even if you don’t use them for your personal work). Remember, staying ahead of the curve never hurts.

Experiment, experiment, experiment!

The only way to know how AI can best assist you in your creative processes is to test it out for yourself. So, whenever the opportunity presents itself, we encourage you to take different AI tools on a test drive. Challenge yourself to brainstorm a text prompt or two, then input it into a image generation AI tool, like MidJourney or Dall-E and see what digital art you and artificial intelligence can dream of!

Learn from AI failures and inconsistencies.

Artificial intelligence is awe-inspiring but it is far from perfect. So, view your interactions with AI as a learning opportunity. This is an important mindset to adopt as you experiment and encounter AI-generate images, code, and texts that may not always live up to your high human standards.

Remember tools are never replacements.

AI, like many other digital tools, can be used an aid. But, it is not a replacement for human ingenuity. After all, no AI can fully emulate the spontaneously creative brain we have. And while one may exist in the future, human designers and artists will always find ways to leverage the technology and create dynamic, hybrid experiences.