The recent surge of AI has been nothing but controversial. But is the arrival of this technology all doom and gloom? AI can be used for both harm and good, here are some of the better applications of it. 

AI in art has been a heated discussion for quite a while now, with many fearing that AI art will eventually replace and decommission human artists. While this is still a serious growing pain for how AI will be used in creating art, artists can use AI to their advantage while this matter is to be resolved. Instead of having to visualize the process of creating a piece, artists can use AI to instantaneously whip up reference images for some of their more complex ideas - helping them to understand exactly what they want to create. This does not mean AI should be used as a substitute in creating art – rather a way to see what your intended piece would look like without having to scratch up a sketch.

Another way to meaningfully use AI in media is the concept of “filling the gap.” For example, video games have struggled with keeping their worlds immersive due to not having the time required to fully flesh out every aspect of the world they’re trying to sell you. Most pedestrians in video game cities are completely non-responsive, but with the integration of something like ChatGPT into their programs, the idea of having full conversations with dozens of these NPCs becomes a reality. While obviously, AI is not so far advanced that you can have legitimate conversations without it sounding bizarre, this technology can advance to that level eventually (in fact, demos of this idea already exist). Another example of filling the gap is auto-generating basic animations and objects to populate your world, making it just more believable.

I've mentioned how you can visualize projects with AI, well it can inspire said projects too. There’s a reason that the recent writers' strike ended with an agreement that allows writers to use AI to help them write if they wish so. Picture a writer’s room that’s struggling to come up with ideas to continue a story, stuck in a brainstorming session that’s leading nowhere. AI can help in circumventing that by pitching some of its own ideas – whether those ideas are basic or complex, they can lead to further critical thinking about how a scenario may play out and help bring an idea to fruition. It could lead to an ‘Aha!’ moment for the writers when something they never even gave a thought to is brought up by AI.

AI is undoubtedly scary, it’s become more and more prevalent in our day to day lives and all of a sudden arrived to threaten creative careers. Despite the growing concerns, it can be used in helpful ways for creative endeavors. One thing is certain though: AI should never be used as a replacement to any creative medium; it can help in creating the parts, but it should never be the sum of it all.