AI is Not Magic
It's just a tool and it's fine.
It’s been thrilling and kind of shocking to watch AI rise over the past few years. Honestly, it’s unbelievable. I remember when I first started experimenting with generative AI back in 2022 when Midjourney came out. It was very raw, very beta, and very far from perfect. Hands were a disaster, fingers were even worse and faces looked weird as hell. Now, four years later, we’re already at a point where some of the results look almost perfect. It’s scary and amazing at the same time.
Before AI, I used to spend hours scrolling through stock websites just trying to find one image that was close to what I had in my head. Not even perfect. Just close enough. Now you can generate that image in seconds. And that’s amazing. But remember one thing: generative AI is still just a tool. Nothing more. People can argue about AI all day depending on what they see on LinkedIn, Instagram or wherever they see. But when it comes to generative AI, I really don’t see it as anything more than a tool.
Why I Call It Just a Tool
There’s this asshole in my office who keeps coming to our department whenever he needs something. And every time he comes, he says the same thing: “Designers are gonna be extinct. AI will replace you guys.” The first time I heard it, I ignored him. The second time, I had to say something. So I told him, “AI will never replace us. You know why? Because AI doesn’t have a brain. AI can’t think like we do.”
That’s it. That’s basically the whole point. Great ideas still come from the human brain, not from AI. We humans have this pretty magical thing inside our heads that can connect completely unrelated things, understand culture, notice stupid little human behaviours and somehow turn all of that into an idea. AI can generate, execute, remix and make things faster. But thinking is a different game. If you don’t believe me, go ask ChatGPT to create an advertising campaign for you. See what happens. It will give you basic shit. Things people are already doing. Safe ideas. Ideas that technically make sense but don’t make you feel anything. Not creative. Not bold. That’s still the gap between AI and humans.
