Frontify’s new interview series sees creative experts answer your burning questions about AI

Like it or not, AI arrived with much fanfare but it’s not going away as quickly as many predicted. It’s wiggled its way into so many aspects of the creative world it’s hard to keep up. Most creatives are curious about how it can help improve their working life, a vast majority are already using AI tools as part of their processes, but the conversation over whether it’s good or bad for the creative industry still wages on.

While there might be a lot of fierce discussion online and in workspaces about machine learning, it can be harder to find more nuanced conversations about the use of AI as part of the creative process, getting guidance on areas like regulation and task automation. While one creative might be arguing that AI is the worst thing to happen to the creative industry in recent history, another is likely to be advocating for how AI has revolutionised their practice. But what’s the truth? Where’s the balance? This is where Frontify’s new interview series and guide Creativity in an AI World comes in.

The brand management platform has collated the insights of eight experts from across the creative landscape to offer diverse insights into the rapidly-evolving technology, including Canva’s head of global brand marketing and partnerships Natalie Schwartz, brand strategist and founder of Farfar Cam Brandow, and Paul Woodvine executive creative director at Dragon Rouge. The interviews span far and wide, digging into how the creatives are using AI, their worries about the tool, their hopes, and ultimately, their vision for the future of the burgeoning tech.

Using key findings from each interviewee, Frontify has also created an informative guide delving into five areas of debate related to AI, from why it will never be a substitute for human connection, to how AI regulation will enhance creativity, not stifle it.

For example, one of the much-discussed benefits of AI is how it is helping speed up menial tasks. In Natalie Schwartz’s interview with Frontify’s copywriter Toby Williams, she discusses how AI, in turn, fuels collaboration. “Any tasks that are automated by AI will free up brain space for deep thinking, digesting other creative work that’s out in the world, and developing ideas, which is why we get into creative work in the first place.” Natalie touches on a very prescient point: how many times have you spent hours sorting your inbox or organising image files only to find that you’ve not been left with any time to actually create? Numerous, we suspect. And so, Natalie predicts that if creatives grasp the responsibility and opportunity of AI positively it has the potential to become something “truly great” – a technology that enhances creativity rather than impedes it.

Paul Woodvine has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands, from UEFA to Guinness, and one of the things that helped him is a generalist approach. Spanning creative strategy, packaging, branding, digital and activation, he’s driven by his “curiosity for the entire creative process”. For Paul, AI can aid in this approach to working. “We should not be aiming to remove the need for specialists or experts at any phase of the creative process,” he says. “However, I encourage using AI as a tool to enhance and add value to the creative process.” It’s an efficient way to develop concepts quickly in the early stages, getting help where your biggest strengths may not lie. Though, Paul is keen to impress that he thinks AI should only be a concepting tool – he disagrees with its use in output for final deliverables. “Without human interaction, we’ll only witness work generated at the push of a button guided by prompts instead of conversation.”

The human impact of AI that Paul touches on is something that sits at the core of Frontify’s interview with Farfar’s Cam Brandow. Like many, she’s concerned with how much attention is being paid to the tech, rather than the people behind it and using it. “I believe that the discussion around generative AI is usually sidelining a huge topic – human relationships. We are already experiencing a glitch in the relationships between agencies and brands,” she says. Cam sees generative AI as a way to protect her own creativity, and as a lifeline to the overworked creative. She believes it should be a tool to “bring us back to balance”, rather than achieve full automation. Cam’s insight taps into something that the creative industry is always battling with – time. Namely, never having enough of it. In Cam’s vision, if AI is used with the human at the forefront, it can help us to free up precious hours. But, what really matters is how we use those hours – Cam’s words call for us to actively spend them with one another, rather than behind our screens.

This is just a snapshot into the insight Creativity in an AI World provides, whether you’re looking to find out how others in your field are harnessing machine learning, or to simply satisfy some of your curiosity around the subject.