Do you trust AI’s creative judgment?

Question

I don’t trust AI’s creative judgment, and yet I use it.
Using AI makes sense for some parts of the creative process:

🟢 AI is good for refinement.
🔴 But not good enough to make a final touch.
🟢 AI can be great sparring partner during ideation.
🔴 But not good enough to make something that’s novel.

I found these two mental models helpful when thinking about using AI for creativity:

1. McDonald’s theory
When co-workers can’t decide where to go for a lunch, Jon Bell recommends McDonald’s.

“It’s as if we’ve broken the ice with the worst possible idea, and now that the discussion has started, people suddenly get very creative. I call it the McDonald’s Theory: people are inspired to come up with good ideas to ward off bad ones.”

2. Creativity faucet
Julian Shapiro takes notes from Ed Sheeran, and Neil Gaiman:

“Visualize your creativity as a backed-up pipe of water. The first mile is packed with wastewater. This wastewater must be emptied before the clear water arrives.
(...)
Bad ideas, by the way, are often the clichés your brain has been overexposed to.
Once bad ideas are emptied, a surprising thing happens: better ideas begin to arrive.”

---

When it comes to creative work, I don’t think of AI as my replacement:

AI surfaces the bad and the average.
It empties all the wastewater from your system.
So you can say: “This is nonsense! I have a better idea...”

What is your perspective for using AI for design and writing?  Are you comfortable with posting AI generated content under your name?

Accepted Answer

I use AI tools for quick drafts and edits, but for the final touches, I prefer the human touch. It's like having a reliable assistant who needs guidance.

Answer

Totally! AI helps me explore new creative avenues I wouldn't have thought of on my own. It's like having a superpowered brainstorming buddy.

Udaya Sri · Answer

@martinmaricak As a YouTuber, I never focused on thumbnails until recently. I discovered Rizzle AI on Product Hunt, which offers custom thumbnail feature with numerous customization options.

Answer

For music production, AI is a game-changer! It can create cool sound effects and loops, but I wouldn't trust it to write a catchy melody just yet.

KurachiWeb 倉地 俊輔 · Answer

When I feel like I need a completely different idea, I use AI.
In some areas, AI is smarter than me, so I trust it.
But ultimately, I vet it myself.

Answer

AI can suggest design elements based on trends, I prefer to trust my own creative intuition and expertise to ensure the design aligns perfectly with the client's brand and message.

Answer

I'm excited to see how AI and human creativity can work together. Maybe AI can handle the repetitive tasks, freeing us up for more innovative thinking.

Udaya Sri · Answer

I'm still a bit unsure about relying on AI for creative tasks, but I find it helpful in getting things done. That's why I prefer platforms that have a lot of customization options, which let me customize my work the way I like.

Answer

I use AI as a creative sparring partner but not for the final product. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude are great for quickly generating a volume of rough ideas and initial drafts to get the creative juices flowing. But I always heavily edit and refine the AI output myself to create something novel and high-quality that I feel comfortable putting my name on. The AI helps clear out the creative 'wastewater' so my best ideas can emerge, but those ideas ultimately come from me, not the AI. I'm firmly in control of the final creative judgment.

Martin Maričák · Answer

@luke_bell it certainly doesn’t have the secret sauce (aka blood 😅).

Answer

Honestly, I'm not sure! AI is constantly evolving. It'll be interesting to see how it impacts creative fields in the future.

Answer

I rely on AI to speed up the repetitive parts of my creative process. It clears the clutter so I can focus on refining and adding the human touch.

Martin Maričák · Answer

@lia_thomas Interesting! Didn’t have a chance to explore music-related AIs. Do you have any favorites?

Martin Maričák · Answer

@daisy_rosy so you say: Use AI to fast track exploration, then use your human skill to get to excellence? That seems like a good mindset.

Do you trust AI’s creative judgment?

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