Artificial intelligence arrived in the metaphorical shape of a chopping block, with creative occupations first in line. Those in artistic fields grew accustomed to working in the  shadow thrown by the threat that their jobs will be “taken by AI”. But, in a rising tide of tell-tale em-dashes, Oxford commas and missing digits, they’re feeling more secure. 

And most of them are using AI. 

For many creatives, the question now isn’t: will AI steal my livelihood? It’s: how can I use this tool without it killing my creativity?  

Here, four makers share their take.

Amy says using AI helps her focus on human storytelling. (Image credits: Supplied)

Journalist and author Amy Molloy uses it as an editorial assistant

“I do use AI. However, I’ve learned the hard way that I really need very clear boundaries around it, not only for the sake of my work, but also my creative mojo. At the start, I definitely did get caught up in the idea that AI could hold this magic answer to my overwhelm as a content creator. So I did lean into it a little too much. Not that any of my readers would have noticed, but I felt it. 

“I would upload a chapter from one of my books and then prompt it to ‘write a Substack post based on this chapter’. And it worked, to a point. However, I very quickly started to feel disconnected from my work. I wasn’t getting that dopamine hit that I rely on as a writer for momentum and ongoing creativity. When someone would say, ‘I love that Substack you wrote’, I didn’t feel any connection to them or their comment. 

“My morale as a writer was starting to drop. And as someone who tries to be meticulous in my work, I started to see the errors and the incorrect translation of information. That was good, because it gave me a bit of a wake-up call to the fact that this does come with risks. So I really pulled back. 

“Now, I use AI as an editorial assistant. I’ll use it as a spell-check and to highlight any potentially incorrect grammar, but I will specify in my prompt: “spell-check this for me and give me a list of what you think is incorrect spellings. Do not just change it in the document.”.

“I also use it for things that are of low value – and that’s different for everyone. Low value for me is social media captions and hashtags. So if I’ve already written a Substack, I’ll then say to AI, ‘write me a caption to go with the Substack and give me hashtags’. That saves maybe 15 minutes of my day, and that’s where I find it really useful. 

“AI has also really inspired me to just lean into my quirkiness. There’s a brilliant A Bit of Optimism podcast episode with Brené Brown and Adam Grant called Thinking About Thinking where they talked about the rise of AI and how it’s going to help us to really value imperfection, because AI can be so perfect – or so it seems. I really took that to heart – and have leant into that.”

Find and follow Amy’s work on her website.

AI doesn’t have a place in Lily’s sphere of practice. (Image credits: Supplied)

Tactile artist Lily Cummins isn’t touching it

“AI is such an interesting thing. I don’t use it – not because of any political stance or anything. It just doesn’t come into my sphere of practice. I guess because my work is primarily concerned with self – I mean, they’re all self portraits. 

“I don’t need it – and I guess I don’t want it in my practice, either. I’m alarmed at what I see it doing to other people’s practice in the space of writing. I’m always writing when I’m making and I think, once you start kind of heading down that AI path, it could be a slippery slope. I think you’ll lose that tether that links you to your practice if you start heading towards AI to assist you with that.

“It’s also very alarming that big companies are using platforms like Leonardo.Ai [that generate images, art and videos] by scraping the internet for visuals. As a visual person who does put things online, I’m aware that it’s fair game, but I think it’s unethical. 

“I’m a bit of a Luddite, but I have a colleague who’s more au fait with AI and she talks about ChatGPT as something that should just be used as a tool, like how we use a hammer. And since we’ve all become aware of the amount of water that it’s using, I think it needs to be treated with care and caution. But I need to learn more about it.”

Find and follow Lily’s work on her website.

Kitiya weighed up her AI curiosity against her artistic values. (Image credits: Supplied)

Craft-based designer and artist Kitiya Palaskas tried it – and turfed it

“I spent a year purposefully experimenting with AI to see whether it would fit into my practice and improve my design workflow. My hopes for this year of experimentation were that I could harness a new tool for my creative toolbox and push my creativity in new directions. 

“While I did actively engage with it for that year, my ultimate findings were that I prefer my analogue techniques and that because of that preference, AI’s use in my design practice is token at best. 

“During this year of experimenting, I also learned about the sustainability impact of AI usage, and started to feel morally torn about my use of it, as creating sustainably is a core value of my practice and business. I also developed concerns about the ethical use of AI in my industry, and the world in general.  

“So, after careful consideration and lots of experimentation, I don’t feel that it is a tool that I want to incorporate into my art practice moving forward.”

Find and follow Kitiya’s work on her website.

Nawal says AI allows her to focus on what matters. (Image credits: Supplied)

Newborn photographer Nawal Phillips likes it for tweaks and admin

“Newborn photography is very hands-on and instinctive, so I’m quite mindful about how I use AI. So much of my work is about being present, reading a baby’s cues, creating a calm space and supporting new mums. That part can’t be replaced by technology.

“For me, AI is there to help in small practical ways – mostly behind the scenes. In editing, it can speed up minor temporary skin tweaks that are part of newborn photography anyway, without changing who the baby is or taking away from the family connection. It just helps me work more efficiently while keeping the focus on what matters.

“I also use it for things like wording or admin tasks, which frees up time and energy so I can give more of myself to the families I work with. I’m careful not to let AI influence the emotional or creative choices in my work, especially during such a sensitive stage of life for parents. It’s really only used when it genuinely adds value, and never at the expense of authenticity. 

“I think AI has already had both positive and negative impacts on the photography industry. If used well it can make workflows more efficient, especially for tasks that don’t touch the heart of the work. But there are also forms of AI that feel like a slippery slope, particularly when they replace lived experience, skill, or honesty in imagery.

“That said, photography has always been an evolving, innovative industry. Technology has reshaped it many times before, and strong businesses learn to move with that change rather than resist it. 

“For me, innovation matters, but so does discernment. Adapting while staying clear on what should never be replaced is where the balance sits.”

Find and follow Nawal’s work on her website.