Recent stock market turbulence and the drop in the price of AI-related tech shares in particular have led many to wonder if the euphoria about the potential value of AI was misguided.
Sound familiar? It seems that every other post that pops up on my LinkedIn feed is about the AI bubble bursting, but the above was actually written in 2024, when we wrote: Forget the bubble, AI is here to stay in the creative sectors.
If there’s one thing that unites all the dialogue around AI, it’s the extreme hyperbolic nature of the words used. A bubble bursting sounds pretty innocuous, but when it’s attached to something that we’ve all come to rely on, suddenly it feels like it could be rather painful.
But what if the AI bubble does actually burst? What does that mean for 3D artists? Will it affect workflows? Will we lose some of the software packages that we use daily? That’s a lot of questions, but they are only the tip of the iceberg. If you scroll down, you’ll see my predictions for what would happen to 3D artists if the AI industry did experience a significant disruption.
The AI bubble bursting could be really positive
A burst could lead to a slowdown in the aggressive development and deployment of new, expensive, and non-profitable AI tools. This could give human artists more time to adapt and integrate existing AI tools effectively into their workflows.
In addition, companies that over-invested in AI expecting quick, cheap creative replacement might scale back, realising that high-quality, complex, and consistent 3D work still requires skilled human expertise.
An AI bubble burst could be exactly what we all need. I think all the hype would fade and the industry would be left with the genuinely useful AI tools that provide incremental efficiency improvements, rather than a frantic race to replace all human work.
Your job might be safe for a little while longer
I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you read the headlines, then you’ll be thinking and maybe worried that AI is coming for your job. I don’t buy into much of the hype around this and would prefer to value human creativity over and above speed of delivery. But not everyone agrees, especially those invested in bringing an AI-centric world into reality.
But, if the AI bubble did burst, then I think it’d be a positive for jobs in the creative sectors. Not only would fewer jobs be replaced by AI alternatives, at least in the short term, but many would come to realise that we can’t rely on AI to do everything for us.
Humans are much more capable of delivering results predictably, and they’re also far superior at problem-solving than any AI engine. If 3D artists can continue evolving and demonstrating their creative worth, then an AI bubble burst could be a good thing for their job security.
We’ll have to adapt
The reality is that even if the AI bubble bursts, AI isn’t just going to go away. We, as 3D artists, must therefore adapt while there’s still time to do so. I think there will therefore be a renewed focus among 3D artists to become masters of the fundamentals who can wield AI tools to enhance their workflows.
I also predict that there will be a realisation that AI can't easily do strong art direction, creative vision, emotional storytelling, or design unique intellectual property (IP). As a result, there will be a greater focus on high-level creativity that demands the human touch.
All eyes are on AI
Only time will tell whether the AI bubble does indeed burst. While most eyes are fixed on AI, I think there’s an opportunity for 3D artists to convince the paying world that they are still very much needed. It’ll take creativity, innovation, and persuasion, but if we move as one, then I’m sure we can ride any wave that comes our way.
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