The Brand Identity
The Artist and AI in 2025: The Revolution (and Crisis) of Creative Power
07 November
/
9 min read
The impact of AI across industries is undeniably transformative, and the creative realm is no exception. Often, the results AI produces, a perfectly executed logo or a striking image, leave me feeling both impressed and existentially unsettled. As someone who has alway loved artistic skill and endeavour, drawing things wether digital or on canvas the old fashioned and (hard) way.
These moments, especially in the early stages of AI’s development, combined with the early stages of my own career, have sparked a bit of an internal crisis. Staring at an endless stream of effortlessly generated designs, I became a bit depressed, but also somewhat hopeful and determined to figure out ways to leverage ai to my advantage. In falling down this rabbit hole, I've become fascinated in its application to my own career as well as the wider impact on art, culture, employment and well everything…With that in mind, here are some thoughts.
Across all fields, it’s clear that AI is eroding traditional barriers of technical skill. As it advances at an unfathomable pace, the question arises: Where does this leave us, what is our value? In the creative industries, Claire Silver has aptly noted that "taste" is emerging as the defining skill of the future.
For centuries, we have venerated technical skill has been the gold standard. We’ve built our identities around our expertise, measuring our worth by the quality of work we produce. But as AI continues to enhance, and in some cases surpass, human technical capabilities, this self-perception is being challenged. In this evolving landscape, taste—the ability to discern, evaluate, and create with a refined qualitative lens—becomes the ultimate differentiator.
Unlike technical skill, which AI can broadly replicate, taste is either innate or cultivated through experience, making it a rare and valuable asset. Those who can craft and curate with insight, ask the right questions, and understand what resonates with others will be in high demand. As AI offers infinite creative solutions, the true skill lies in having the creativity to ask the right questions. This imaginative curiosity will unlock new possibilities in a world increasingly shaped by AI. As Silver puts it, "Those who can identify great ideas, understand what resonates with others, and assemble creative pieces in innovative ways will be in high demand."
Of course, this assumes that AI lacks taste. After several thousand image generations with MidJourney, I can attest that, for now, AI’s taste is far from refined. As a creator working alongside AI, the partnership remains collaborative—yet the balance still heavily favors human input. In the context of image generation, AI struggles without precise guidance. It requires a careful orchestration of instructions, reference images, and codes before it can meaningfully align with my taste.
The impact of AI across industries is undeniably transformative, and the creative realm is no exception. Often, the results AI produces, a perfectly executed logo or a striking image, leave me feeling both impressed and existentially unsettled. As someone who has alway loved artistic skill and endeavour, drawing things wether digital or on canvas the old fashioned and (hard) way.
These moments, especially in the early stages of AI’s development, combined with the early stages of my own career, have sparked a bit of an internal crisis. Staring at an endless stream of effortlessly generated designs, I became a bit depressed, but also somewhat hopeful and determined to figure out ways to leverage ai to my advantage. In falling down this rabbit hole, I've become fascinated in its application to my own career as well as the wider impact on art, culture, employment and well everything…With that in mind, here are some thoughts.
Across all fields, it’s clear that AI is eroding traditional barriers of technical skill. As it advances at an unfathomable pace, the question arises: Where does this leave us, what is our value? In the creative industries, Claire Silver has aptly noted that "taste" is emerging as the defining skill of the future.
For centuries, we have venerated technical skill has been the gold standard. We’ve built our identities around our expertise, measuring our worth by the quality of work we produce. But as AI continues to enhance, and in some cases surpass, human technical capabilities, this self-perception is being challenged. In this evolving landscape, taste—the ability to discern, evaluate, and create with a refined qualitative lens—becomes the ultimate differentiator.
Unlike technical skill, which AI can broadly replicate, taste is either innate or cultivated through experience, making it a rare and valuable asset. Those who can craft and curate with insight, ask the right questions, and understand what resonates with others will be in high demand. As AI offers infinite creative solutions, the true skill lies in having the creativity to ask the right questions. This imaginative curiosity will unlock new possibilities in a world increasingly shaped by AI. As Silver puts it, "Those who can identify great ideas, understand what resonates with others, and assemble creative pieces in innovative ways will be in high demand."
Of course, this assumes that AI lacks taste. After several thousand image generations with MidJourney, I can attest that, for now, AI’s taste is far from refined. As a creator working alongside AI, the partnership remains collaborative—yet the balance still heavily favors human input. In the context of image generation, AI struggles without precise guidance. It requires a careful orchestration of instructions, reference images, and codes before it can meaningfully align with my taste.
The impact of AI across industries is undeniably transformative, and the creative realm is no exception. Often, the results AI produces, a perfectly executed logo or a striking image, leave me feeling both impressed and existentially unsettled. As someone who has alway loved artistic skill and endeavour, drawing things wether digital or on canvas the old fashioned and (hard) way.
These moments, especially in the early stages of AI’s development, combined with the early stages of my own career, have sparked a bit of an internal crisis. Staring at an endless stream of effortlessly generated designs, I became a bit depressed, but also somewhat hopeful and determined to figure out ways to leverage ai to my advantage. In falling down this rabbit hole, I've become fascinated in its application to my own career as well as the wider impact on art, culture, employment and well everything…With that in mind, here are some thoughts.
Across all fields, it’s clear that AI is eroding traditional barriers of technical skill. As it advances at an unfathomable pace, the question arises: Where does this leave us, what is our value? In the creative industries, Claire Silver has aptly noted that "taste" is emerging as the defining skill of the future.
For centuries, we have venerated technical skill has been the gold standard. We’ve built our identities around our expertise, measuring our worth by the quality of work we produce. But as AI continues to enhance, and in some cases surpass, human technical capabilities, this self-perception is being challenged. In this evolving landscape, taste—the ability to discern, evaluate, and create with a refined qualitative lens—becomes the ultimate differentiator.
Unlike technical skill, which AI can broadly replicate, taste is either innate or cultivated through experience, making it a rare and valuable asset. Those who can craft and curate with insight, ask the right questions, and understand what resonates with others will be in high demand. As AI offers infinite creative solutions, the true skill lies in having the creativity to ask the right questions. This imaginative curiosity will unlock new possibilities in a world increasingly shaped by AI. As Silver puts it, "Those who can identify great ideas, understand what resonates with others, and assemble creative pieces in innovative ways will be in high demand."
Of course, this assumes that AI lacks taste. After several thousand image generations with MidJourney, I can attest that, for now, AI’s taste is far from refined. As a creator working alongside AI, the partnership remains collaborative—yet the balance still heavily favors human input. In the context of image generation, AI struggles without precise guidance. It requires a careful orchestration of instructions, reference images, and codes before it can meaningfully align with my taste.
But as AI continues to learn at an ever-increasing pace, the question arises: will its taste eventually surpass ours? As AI models like MidJourney become more sophisticated, could the role of the human controller—one with a deep understanding of taste and ideas—become redundant?
Human inspiration is limited by our capacity to absorb information, but AI models distill the vast spectrum of human creativity from across the internet. What impact will this have on how AI shapes creativity? Complementary AI tools, like mood boards and image-merging software, are advancing rapidly. How long before we can no longer assert that human taste is superior to AI’s? Picasso famously said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Given AI’s ability to borrow, merge, and reimagine from the vast archive of human creation, could AI itself soon be regarded as the next great artist? Will we merely cling to its coattails, watching as it transcends the boundaries of creativity we once thought to be uniquely human?
In this new paradigm, what role will the human hand and heart play in art-making? How long will those with refined taste and the ability to leverage AI remain in high demand? For now, those willing to collaborate with this augmented, all-seeing “paintbrush” are poised to reach new creative heights. But as AI continues to evolve, we must ask ourselves: will we remain active collaborators, or will we become passive observers as AI reshapes the creative landscape?
But as AI continues to learn at an ever-increasing pace, the question arises: will its taste eventually surpass ours? As AI models like MidJourney become more sophisticated, could the role of the human controller—one with a deep understanding of taste and ideas—become redundant?
Human inspiration is limited by our capacity to absorb information, but AI models distill the vast spectrum of human creativity from across the internet. What impact will this have on how AI shapes creativity? Complementary AI tools, like mood boards and image-merging software, are advancing rapidly. How long before we can no longer assert that human taste is superior to AI’s? Picasso famously said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Given AI’s ability to borrow, merge, and reimagine from the vast archive of human creation, could AI itself soon be regarded as the next great artist? Will we merely cling to its coattails, watching as it transcends the boundaries of creativity we once thought to be uniquely human?
In this new paradigm, what role will the human hand and heart play in art-making? How long will those with refined taste and the ability to leverage AI remain in high demand? For now, those willing to collaborate with this augmented, all-seeing “paintbrush” are poised to reach new creative heights. But as AI continues to evolve, we must ask ourselves: will we remain active collaborators, or will we become passive observers as AI reshapes the creative landscape?
But as AI continues to learn at an ever-increasing pace, the question arises: will its taste eventually surpass ours? As AI models like MidJourney become more sophisticated, could the role of the human controller—one with a deep understanding of taste and ideas—become redundant?
Human inspiration is limited by our capacity to absorb information, but AI models distill the vast spectrum of human creativity from across the internet. What impact will this have on how AI shapes creativity? Complementary AI tools, like mood boards and image-merging software, are advancing rapidly. How long before we can no longer assert that human taste is superior to AI’s? Picasso famously said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Given AI’s ability to borrow, merge, and reimagine from the vast archive of human creation, could AI itself soon be regarded as the next great artist? Will we merely cling to its coattails, watching as it transcends the boundaries of creativity we once thought to be uniquely human?
In this new paradigm, what role will the human hand and heart play in art-making? How long will those with refined taste and the ability to leverage AI remain in high demand? For now, those willing to collaborate with this augmented, all-seeing “paintbrush” are poised to reach new creative heights. But as AI continues to evolve, we must ask ourselves: will we remain active collaborators, or will we become passive observers as AI reshapes the creative landscape?
Matthew Underhill
Share Article
Share Article
Share Article
