AI makes us all art directors, but can we all be art directors? This question reminds me of a similar one that was often asked when camera phones were beginning to take hold. The question was, “Now that everyone has a camera in their pocket, is this the end of photographers and their super-fancy, expensive cameras?”
There was a lot of heat and hot air generated in the debate, with photographers defending their craft and others lobbying for a new and more ubiquitous way of capturing photos. As time has passed, the question has been answered with a both/and answer.
The future of art direction
I believe the same is true for art direction. AI is making it possible for more people to try their hand at it, with concept creation and rapid idea prototyping now possible with a few simple AI prompts. What was previously the remit of a trained and talented art director is suddenly achievable by anyone, including the client paying for the project.
This will inevitably lead to a short-term devaluing of art direction as the unskilled ‘have a go’, but I think human-curated art direction will ultimately win out. After all, good art direction, guided by a human, is why games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and films like Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse feel special. Casey Neistat’s video SORA: The all AI TikTok Clone. Will slop end creativity? explores a similar question and concludes that we’re generating an increasing amount of ‘slop’, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a place for human-inspired storytelling and art direction.
AI art direction acts as a creative accelerator and removes the traditional barriers of technical design skill and time. That doesn’t mean there’s no need for human creativity in the process. Rather, the emergence of AI forces human art directors to evolve. How so, you ask. Let me offer two ways:
1. Empathy
A key part of art direction and storytelling is the role of empathy. It is only humans who are able to navigate nuanced cultural contexts and ethics and achieve genuine emotional resonance. These qualities are rooted in shared lived experience such that AI, as a pattern-mimicking tool, simply cannot meaningfully replicate them. Human art directors will therefore retain superiority in this area.
2. Intentionality and vision
AI art direction might be able to recombine existing data and ideas, but it is only humans who are able to drive non-linear creativity, introducing deliberate deviations or breakthrough ideas that set new trends.
Beyond this, art direction demands essential human skills, including team leadership, complex negotiation, and translating subjective client feedback into concrete action. It’s fair to say that art directors will have to learn how to wield AI to bring much-needed efficiencies, but that doesn’t mean the entirety of the role becomes redundant.
Don’t give up!
It’s easy for creatives to become discouraged by the emergence of AI. Many have lost their jobs because of it, and those who lack the ability to evolve might feel threatened. I believe there is still plenty of time for creative industries to forge a new way. (Martin Nebelong offers advice on why you shouldn't fear AI.)
It’s a path that is defined by human creativity, empathy, and vision. It’s a road that will require us to put AI in its place, making sure it serves us rather than the other way around. I don’t think it’s the case to say that only the strongest will survive, but I think it will take some brave creatives to go where others haven’t been before.
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