4 ways creativity is improving thanks to artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is both a product of human creativity and a means to facilitate it. Artists, designers, photographers, sales representatives, and other professionals have already seen the benefits of new technology, and recent innovations continue to impress upon the wary public a critical fact: AI helps more than it harms.

Here are four ways creativity is improving thanks to AI, showing only a fraction of its enormous potential.

1. Reducing the cognitive load

Psychological Science released a study in 2016 showing the relationship between a high cognitive load and creativity. When the amount of information in our working memory overwhelms us, it has a negative impact on our creative aptitude. Those with high and low cognitive loads display a measurable difference in output.

Where does artificial intelligence enter the equation? It fosters an environment that reduces the mental strain on an individual, managing repetitive tasks that would otherwise divide their attention. As the parts of their brain that see frequent use begin to deactivate, it activates the parts responsible for creativity.

To provide an example, AI assistants will have the capacity to schedule our appointments, prioritize the day’s most pressing responsibilities and draw our attention to important messages, handling the minutia while we concern ourselves with what’s in front of us. For writers and sales representatives, the benefits are clear.

2. Simplifying the search process

There are over 100 million images in Adobe Stock, the company’s database of stock photos, images, graphics, vectors and other creative assets. To sort through that massive inventory would likely overwhelm someone trying to build a website or organize a social media post, but Adobe Sensei has simplified the search process.

Through artificial intelligence and deep learning, Adobe Sensei can identify conceptual information in an image like its composition, color palette and aesthetic quality, then provide a match that most closely meets specifications. It’s an incredible convenience that helps users find the perfect asset for their project.

The capabilities of Adobe Sensei don’t end there, however. It can automatically tag images with keywords to assist with organization, separate subjects from the background of those images, summarize text and understand the structure of documents. These features are helpful for photographers, designers and marketers.

3. Providing context for decisions

The analysis of large volumes of data has provided companies predictive power in channeling their marketing efforts. They can employ advanced analytics frameworks to sort through information and guide them toward the most profitable decisions. That said, this technology isn’t without its disadvantages.

An adherence to calculations doesn’t allow for creativity, and outliers have the potential to skew information and cause confusion. More than that, if a business tailors its future advertising to past behavior, it’s neglecting to account for possible changes. Improvements in AI can account for these inherent flaws.

Innovations in technology will shift AI from predictive to prescriptive intelligence. New systems will tell us why one customer is more valuable than another, why a certain product will appeal to them and other insights to strengthen the relationship between companies and consumers. Prescriptive intelligence provides context.

4. Inspiring creative expression

AI can reduce an individual’s cognitive load, simplify the search process and provide context for decisions — but can it create a work of art? Technology has the capacity to produce patterns of sound and images that resemble art, and they’re often impressive, but what does it mean to create?

Rutger’s University’s Art and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory developed software that generates original paintings, but who’s responsible for creating the art? Is it the human team at Rutger’s University or the software? Regardless, this generated artwork has the potential to facilitate creative expression.

Sometime in the future, not too distant, a young student might visit a museum for their school’s field trip and find themselves gazing up at a beautiful painting. They’re inspired by its masterful composition and genius use of color. Curious, the student approaches the associated caption to learn the artist’s name is AIAP-X.

5. What’s next for artificial intelligence

Though more advanced technology continues to emerge, human creativity isn’t going anywhere. It’s true that automation has replaced jobs and will continue to streamline business practices, but artificial intelligence is here to assist, not replace us.

How AI will continue to develop is subject to speculation, but its potential for aiding creativity is as limitless as the human imagination.

(Featured image by DepositPhotos)

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.