Why creative skills still matter in the age of AI

I saw an interesting discussion on social media recently about AI and the future of work and not surprisingly, the creative field was pulled into the centre of the conversation. The point being made was that creatives are among those most likely to be affected as AI continues to grow, because so much of what they do seems easy for technology to copy, produce or speed up.

This does sound reasonable, especially as it relates to graphic designers and content creators. AI can write captions, generate images, suggest campaign ideas, draft press releases, create scripts, and help with designs. In Marketing, PR and content creation, it is already changing the way work is done. However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that we need to separate being creative from having creative skills.

Being creative is the ability to see possibilities, make connections and come up with original ideas. Having a creative skill is what happens when that ability is trained, tested and applied to a real purpose. In Marketing and PR, that means knowing who you are speaking to, what they need to understand, how the brand should sound, when the message should be shared and how the idea should be brought to life. A person may have a creative thought, but skill is what helps them decide whether that thought should become a caption, a campaign, a press release, an event experience or sometimes nothing at all. This is why skilled marketers, communicators and creatives still have a future.

The skill is no longer just about being able to write a caption, design a flyer, draft a release or suggest campaign ideas. Those tasks still matter, but the deeper value is in knowing what the work should achieve. Who are we speaking to? What do they care about? What might they misunderstand? What emotion are we trying to create? What action do we want them to take?

What could make this idea feel fresh instead of forced?

Many brands use AI in very different ways. Heinz used it to show how strongly people associate ketchup with Heinz. Dove chose not to use AI to create or distort images of women because that decision matched its long standing message around real beauty, whereas Coca Cola faced criticism for an AI generated Christmas ad because many people felt it lacked the warmth they expected from that brand.

The same applies locally. A Carnival event using an AI theme can be interesting because it gives people a fresh way to experience a fete, fashion, music and atmosphere. Be that as it may, the success of that idea will depend on how it is brought to life. If the theme only looks futuristic on social media, people may forget it quickly. If it shapes the dress code, lighting, décor, music, content, arrival experience and the way people feel inside the event, then it becomes more than a theme. It becomes an experience.

These are important points Marketers and Creatives cannot miss. The tool may help with production, but people still respond to feeling, culture, relevance and execution. AI can give options, but it cannot automatically know what will feel right for your audience. That still requires human judgment. So yes, some tasks will become faster, cheaper or easier to produce, but creative skills still has a future, because brands will always need people who can think clearly, understand people and make ideas work in the real world.

• Candice Sealey is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Ignite! a Full-service Marketing & PR Consultancy that helps businesses/brands to stand out and communicate the right message to the right people at the right time through Strategy, Marketing, Media services and Design solutions.
  She is also a freelance content writer, advertising copywriter, voice-over talent, media personality. Follow us on FB & IG @igniteresults Phone:784-432-2223. Email: igniteresults@gmail.com