AI x Creative: How Generative Artificial Intelligence Can Support Creativity

AI waits for no one. In fact, it’s wrong to say the bots are coming. Because they’re already here.

Social feeds are being taken over by an influx of AI art. Whether it’s futuristic Gaudi?-inspired architecture by self-anointed AI artists or Lensa’s profile-ready ‘magic avatar’ selfies that every friend of a friend seems to be uploading, there is a growing movement of new wave pioneers, expanding the canvas of our imagination.

But it’s not just images that are getting the robot redo. The release of ChatGPT by OpenAI caused a meltdown on Twitter, sparking fascinating text-driven experiments from the absurdly entertaining – getting AI to write raps a la Drake – to the downright frightening. ‘What a time to be alive’ will surely be uttered next to watercoolers around the world.

As more businesses and organisations explore the vast potential of AI-powered creations, those early adopters with the knowledge to create it will be at an advantage. On the following pages, we’ll look at how viable a tool AI can be for creativity – when harnessed effectively. We’ll explore the a few of the systems at our disposal, weighing up pros and pitfalls, and summarising how they can integrate into the creative process. If you finish reading this with a newfound sense of wonder, then that is job done.

DALL-E / 2

OpenAI’s own image-generating deep-learning AI system that turns text prompts into realistic images and art. Launched in Jan 2021. It can combine concepts, attributes and styles e.g. text description = Noun/item/object/person > verb/action > style

Pros

Very simple to use and accessible

The results can be highly creative and unique, with new expansive compositions

You can make basic edits to existing images using a natural language caption with a feature called ‘in painting’, where you can add and remove elements while taking shadows, reflections, and textures into account

Create variations on a theme, inspired by an original source

Cons

The system doesn’t always produce realistic images and it can be difficult to control and refine the output

There are gaps in its training, sometimes due to incorrectly labelled images around the web

GENERATIVE PRE-TRAINED TRANSFORMER 3

GPT-3 is a language model that has been fine-tuned to generate chatbot-like text in a variety of styles, including poetry and fiction. It can be used as a tool for copywriting by inputting prompts, giving it a topic and a style.

Pros

Generates a lot of ideas and inspiration very quickly

Good starting point to then refine as needed by a human

The results can be very realistic and can be fine-tuned to some extent

Cons

May not always produce coherent or meaningful text. Won’t produce final copy without editing

Facts can be incorrect. Needs to be checked

The tone of voice can sound quite hollow

The content is just so boring. There is a lack of any sort of relatable tone.

Needs context, specific parameters to deliver the best results

CHATGPT

ChatGPT is a variant of the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) language model that has been fine-tuned for chatbot-like text generation.

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS:

Start with a clear prompt: Before using ChatGPT, have a clear idea of what you want it to write about. This can be a specific topic, a type of content (such as an email or social media post), or a specific tone or style.

Edit and proofread the output: As with any automated tool, it is important to carefully review the text generated by ChatGPT to ensure that it is accurate, coherent, and appropriate for your intended audience.

Use it as a starting point: ChatGPT can be a useful tool for generating ideas and ins3piration, but it is highly unlikely to produce final copy that is ready to use without further editing. 

VISUALISATION WITH MIDJOURNEY

Midjourney is a powerful art generator that can produce unique reference images that are usually much better than the average stock library. This can be great for moodboarding. It’d be trickier for storyboarding where you’re referencing specific types of angles, framing and composition – though not impossible. Of course, it can’t replace a photographer or artist. But it is something of a creative shortcut. The question is how much should we cut corners?

The concept is still conceived by the ‘AI artist’. There still needs to be an idea in the prompt, conceived by a human, rooted in words. The tool in and of itself, can’t replace the creative thinking that goes into it. Undoubtedly, it’s great for creative exploration from multiple angles and considering a wider range of possibilities, in turn, stimulating your imagination and sparking new ideas.

CONTENT GENERATION WITH CHATGPT

ChatGPT is a powerful tool for copywriters because it uses cutting-edge natural language processing technology to help generate creative and engaging content. With ChatGPT, copywriters can quickly and easily generate ideas and concepts, and can even use the tool to write entire pieces of content.

One of the key features of ChatGPT is its ability to understand and respond to natural language inputs. This means that copywriters can simply type or speak their ideas and concepts into the tool, and ChatGPT will generate relevant and appropriate responses. This can save copywriters a lot of time and effort, and can help to spark new ideas and approaches that they might not have considered otherwise.

Another advantage of ChatGPT for copywriters is its ability to learn and adapt. As the tool is used, it builds a model of the writer’s style and preferences, and can generate content that is tailored to their unique voice and tone. This can help to ensure that the content produced by ChatGPT is consistent with the writer’s brand and messaging, and can help to create a more cohesive and compelling narrative.

In addition to these benefits, ChatGPT is also highly customizable, allowing copywriters to fine-tune the tool to meet their specific needs and requirements. With a range of settings and options, copywriters can adjust the tool to generate content that is appropriate for their intended audience and purpose. This can help to ensure that the content produced by ChatGPT is engaging and effective, and can help to maximize the impact of the writer’s message.

Overall, ChatGPT is a valuable tool for copywriters because it uses natural language processing technology to generate creative and engaging content. With its ability to understand and respond to natural language inputs, learn and adapt, and be customized to the writer’s needs, ChatGPT can save time and effort, spark new ideas, and create content that is consistent with the writer’s brand and messaging.

The section above was entirely written by ChatGPT. Verbatim! Could you tell?

SUMMARISING THOUGHTS

It will save you time

Overall, used in the right way and at the right time it will speed up content production. This could improve the service we can offer clients - in theory. Might we dare to achieve the impossible, and hit the bullseye of the project management Venn diagram?

It's a catalyst for creativity, not a substitute

Harness it in the right way, and AI can be your companion for unlocking further creativity, arriving at your end solution in faster and fewer steps. It opens up multiple avenues of thinking at the early stage of a project, allowing you to consider a wider set of possibilities. It’s therefore great at tickling your imagination and inspiring ideas quicker. View this innovation as a tool. And tools this powerful are nothing without control.

AI - Always incorrect?

The more your fine tune and the more you teach it, the better the results. Don’t become reliant on it. Check your QC. Fact check. Because there will be mistakes. You will invariably need to add some human magic. You can’t polish a turd. But you should ALWAYS polish AI outputs. Maybe it should be known as artificially intelligent.

You don't have to be an expert

It will mean creative specialists can become jack-of-all-trade generalists. Yet there could be a role in the future for those who master how to manipulate AI down to narrow, specific results. Someone who knows how to iterate. How does AI Whisperer sound?

People can smell the bots

AI is only as god as the data it's built on. This means, it very much thinks inside a tightly framed box. Answers to queries on ChatGPT tend to err on the generic side. Left untouched, and it's likely to sound a touch... robotic. Hollow. Clunky. You're hardly going to get a disruptive 'Lemon' headline anytime soon. Equally, AI visualisation is great at applying different overarching aesthetics to a visual idea. However, it will struggle to get something super precise and detailed. 

 

The best thing is you don’t have to be Steve Jobs. The cornerstone of OpenAI’s mission is democratise these creative skills. Where Photoshop was a barrier to entry for the world of design and visual concepting, Midjourney is making it accessible. Equally, ChatGPT is unlocking the world of content creation for many. Yet no matter how many self-confessed AI whisperers you spot on LinkedIn, remember, AI is only as good as the human directing it.