A Graphic Designer’s thoughts on AI
As AI takes over our world, I discuss some of my top concerns
AI is a big topic these days and something I find myself thinking about constantly. It’s fascinating and mind blowing, but if I’m being honest, all of it just makes me incredibly sad. I know there is real hope in medical advances, research, and productivity and I keep trying to be optimistic, but I’m struggling wayyy too much with the cons. Besides the fact that the creative industry (like my job) is going to dramatically change or even disappear, I’m majorly concerned about environmental impact, the need for more data centers, copyright infringement, job losses, misinformation, privacy, security and so much more. I’m alarmed at the rate at which this is all being unleashed/forced onto the public with zero guardrails or regulations. In this post, I share my top concerns as well as how I plan to work and live in this day and age.
AI is devaluing art, artists and the creative industry as a whole
AI is now performing tasks like logo design, photography, video, and music in a matter of seconds. It scans (steals) artist’s work and uses it to recreate new content without credit or compensation. There is real concern about copyright infringement here. As an artist, we own the rights to our work, but now that seems to be up for debate and is currently being argued in the courts. Owning the rights to our work is the foundation of our profession. Whoever creates the work should be able to decide how it’s used and who is allowed to use it, but if that doesn’t hold up, then neither will our professions. If people no longer want or need to hire illustrators, writers, designers, photographers, videographers, actors, and animators, then will those jobs still exist? It’s already hard enough to “make it” as a creative professional, but soon it might be impossible.
Initially it was easy to determine what was AI and what wasn’t. Seeing the extra fingers and bizarre images was comical at times, but it’s getting better and it’s becoming harder to tell the difference. I hate the fact that I even have to question if I’m looking at human art or AI art. Did someone pour their heart and soul into this piece? Or was this generated with a few prompts in one minute using stolen art? If you’re not sure, then you lose that “awe” feeling when you experience it and the overall value diminishes drastically.
I don’t think that AI can do my job yet, but it is learning exponentially. I’m admittedly pessimistic about my future as a designer and digital artist. I think that the designers that embrace and learn AI tools will continue to do okay, but the way things are going now, I’m just not sure I want to be part of it.
How AI is impacting our environment and communities
Another major problem with AI is how it's impacting our environment, energy use and water consumption. With the rise in AI, more and more data centers and “hyperscale” data centers are popping up all over the country in order to meet the demands. Powering these data centers requires a massive amount of electricity to function and water to cool. All of this is directly impacting the surrounding communities. There have been complaints about electricity bills skyrocketing, noise pollution (constant humming), water contamination, and more.
In a neighboring town of Canton, NC, the city council just voted to block any potential data center for at least one year while the town develops more ordinances to protect their community. Canton is an adorable, mountain town that has so much potential after closing down their paper mill and the people in that community are fighting for their voices to be heard in this battle. I’m grateful that this has been paused so we can all continue to learn and understand the negative impacts that these facilities bring with them. Some argue that these centers will generate revenue and add jobs, but at what cost? And how many permanent jobs will these actually provide?
Concerns about AI and privacy and security
With new technology comes increased issues surrounding privacy and security. I find myself getting frustrated that AI is forced onto us in our apps and programs without consent. To opt-out or turn off these features, I have to look up how to do it and then comb through settings to disable all the “smart” features. I personally don’t want all my emails scanned so that AI can write a response for me. I don’t want to waste time figuring out how to opt-out of every single thing or worry about how I’m being tracked.
Sensitive and personal information feels more vulnerable now and harder to protect from data leaks. Scamming and phishing techniques will become more advanced and widespread. I recognize that AI isn’t going away so we’re going to have to be diligent to protect our passwords, healthcare information, social media accounts, financial records and more. Will all our searches and AI prompts be tracked as well?
In terms of security, there are also real fears of misinformation, propaganda and bias that can do a lot of harm to our society without any sort of regulation or oversight. This, along with the mental health element and AI companions, would require a whole post of its own.
How I plan to work and live in the age of AI
Clearly I lean closer to the doomsday side of things when it comes to AI, but I’m trying hard to stay open-minded and understand as much as I can. When it comes to my business, I’ve decided to sit back and observe how AI is impacting our world so I can be intentional with how I use or don’t use it in my processes. I want to know what I’m getting myself into and what I’m supporting, before I dive too deep.
Personally, I find myself recoiling from technology as a whole which is not ideal in my field as a web designer lol. I crave nature, human interactions, family, creativity, art, living slow and growing my own food. I want to be successful and improve in the technology field, but also spend just as much time with my hands in the dirt. Maybe I’ll get left in the dust if I don’t adapt and maybe that’s actually okay with me. As long as people still want to hire humans for art, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing!
I decided to write this post because I’m genuinely interested in this conversation. I would love your input and thoughts on this topic so please leave a comment if you feel so inclined. Especially if you can highlight the positive impacts!
Additional Sources:
Generative AI Is A Crisis For Copyright Law - Forbes Article by Hessie Jones
AI, Copyright, and the Law: The Ongoing Battle Over Intellectual Property Rights - USC Article by Negar Bondari
Data Drain: The Land and Water Impacts of the AI Boom - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
'I can't drink the water' - life next to a US data centre - BBC
Town of Canton blocks any potential data center for one year - NC Local
