Generative AI should not be used for any creative purposes and using it should not be encouraged.

What I had thought would just be a trend that would die down in a few weeks had instead erupted into growing use, to the point that even companies and educational institutions are encouraging the use of Generative AI for creative works with the excuse of “embracing the future” or “saving costs and time” without even sparing a single thought for those who would be affected by these actions.

Generative AI like ChatGPT or Grok had increased in popularity when people online realised that they could generate any picture or creative work that they wanted without having to pay, contact or hope that there was an artist out there who could create what they wanted to see, despite how unethical it is and how using Generative AI was affecting many people. Generative AI steals work that has been shared on the internet by artists who were kind enough to do so, then copies the style of creation of these artists without their consent. A prime example the small incident regarding the Hatsune Miku v6 design that was made by a well-known Japanese artist known as LAM.

Companies and educational institutions continue to encourage the use of Generative AI for creative purposes despite the unethical nature of the system. Artists are losing their jobs because companies would rather generate an advertisement that has no soul than contact and pay an artist to make an advertisement for them. Educational institutions that encourage the use of Generative AI for creative works are unforgivable, especially if the educational institutions focus on the arts. Fortunately, there are still people against the use of Generative AI.

Supporters of Generative AI like to argue that the development of Generative AI makes art and creative work more accessible to people who are not “good” in being creative. Every creative person has to go through hours of practice to be able to perfect their craft into what it is today, and even then, artists are still trying ways to improve their craft. If Beethoven could compose music while still being deaf, people in today’s society should be able to learn how to create without using Generative AI. Especially, when there is more access to materials, there should be no excuse to deliberately skip the steps of creation. The only thing gatekeeping you from creating art is yourself.