Document Type
Research Notes
Publication Date
Winter 12-31-2025
Abstract
This article argues that artificial intelligence is best understood as a tool in continuity with earlier technologies like digital cameras, non-linear editing, MIDI, and desktop publishing, rather than as a magical threat that will erase creativity or employment. Drawing on historical shifts from film to digital video, manual paste‑up to graphic design software, and acoustic instruments to synthesizers, the author shows that new tools disrupt workflows and certain jobs, yet ultimately broaden access and generate new creative opportunities. Concerns about AI’s resource use are contextualized by comparing its water footprint to bottled water, agriculture, beef production, and textiles, concluding that AI’s impact is significant but not unique and will likely improve as data centers grow more efficient. The article emphasizes that meaningful art still depends on human taste, discipline, and ideas, whether using pencils, cameras, or AI systems, and that audiences ultimately care about emotional impact more than the specific tools behind it. Acknowledging ongoing layoffs and business incentives to reduce labor costs, the author predicts AI will reshape rather than eliminate most creative work and contends that resisting its adoption is futile; the real choice is whether to learn these tools and use them to extend one’s creativity.
Repository Citation
Midgley, Herbert, "AI and Creativity" (2025). Faculty Publications. 1.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/music_facultypubs/1
Included in
Film Production Commons, Higher Education Commons, Music Commons, Other Film and Media Studies Commons
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