In our series of expert articles, Ildikó Varju, a senior web designer and online mentor, explores a defining challenge of our time. She takes a deep dive into the pressing question: will AI take the jobs of creatives? Her analysis examines the impact of artificial intelligence on creative professions and the evolving relationship between human intuition and technology, spiced with industry research.
Author: Ildikó Varju | Senior web designer | online mentor
In this article, I want to explore from several angles how AI affects the work of those in creative professions, with a particular focus on the question: will AI take the jobs of creatives? This is not simply black or white. There are nuances. And we humans are also a thousand different ways, so we react to innovations in a thousand different ways.
Let’s state right at the beginning that AI is an immensely useful and rapidly developing tool that you can love or hate. But what is certain is that if we use it well, it can significantly ease our daily work. However, if someone falls behind, does not keep track of development, and does not integrate the opportunities offered by AI into their work, they can quickly find themselves marginalized.
Today, artificial intelligence is capable of producing complex texts, visual content, and even videos.
Generative models are spreading so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up. But if we try to keep pace with this rapid development, we can see that they are particularly useful for many creative tasks. According to research, AI can automate more than 20 % of tasks in the fields of design and media.
And this does not necessarily indicate that it is taking away people’s jobs; rather, it means a transformation of work processes.
- Those who are skillful can ride this wave and keep up; for them, the time spent on projects can be significantly shortened and their portfolios can flourish.
- Meanwhile, those who do not recognize this direction, fight against it, and do not integrate AI into their processes will likely fall behind in the competition.
- And let’s not forget that if someone wants to succeed exclusively with AI-generated content, it will very quickly be revealed that there is no real, personal professional knowledge and experience behind them.
Why are creative professionals afraid of the expansion of AI?
Many fear that AI will take their jobs. This is especially true for roles where tasks are relatively routine or standardizable, and where AI is already approaching true quality. Examples include copywriters, photographers, marketers, and web designers. Many think it’s enough to prompt a topic into Gemini, ChatGPT, or Perplexity, and the professional blog article is ready. They use and distribute it without any editing, then sit back and wait for success. Today, any lifelike photo or video can be created with your own face and voice, and you can even have music composed with the help of AI.
Technological progress has transformed industries before, and creative fields were no exception. Digital tools and software, such as computer-aided design programs or digital audio recording, previously changed the nature of creative work in a similar way. These tools initially triggered skepticism, but eventually, professionals realized that these tools allowed them to focus on higher-level, strategic tasks.
AI does not take away work on its own; it transforms it.
AI tools have been proven to increase efficiency and allow creative professionals to focus on fewer routine tasks and more tasks that represent added value.
For example, marketers and UX designers can use AI to generate basic ideas faster and then refine them with human knowledge. We don’t rely on AI one-on-one; instead, we support our own knowledge and abilities with it. This way, we progress faster with projects and can deliver a higher standard, as AI is capable of showing multiple perspectives—ones that wouldn’t normally occur to us during the design process.
Thus, technological transformation not only carries specific threats but also opportunities. According to some surveys, a significant portion of employees see that AI improves their work efficiency and provides new skills; and these skills represent long-term value for them. AI increases daily productivity and also improves career prospects. This is especially true if the individual makes the „AI-mindset” an integral part of their work.
In creative professions, the impact of AI also varies by age.
Younger workers are much more likely to see the positive effects resulting from AI automation and approach artificial intelligence more boldly, regardless of the field. They are resourceful, so they can make good use of it not only in work but also in areas of everyday life. Because of this, young people might assume that much fewer people can do the same work, or that more people can produce a much larger volume of work with the help of AI. And they are the ones who are more likely to assume that creative professions can be completely replaced by artificial intelligence.
More experienced professionals are less afraid of immediate job loss. They know that a „machine” will never be able to reproduce the individual vision and way of thinking that a real, feeling, thinking human can. Therefore, they are much more likely to think that by adapting to AI and calling on it for help, outstanding creative work can be delivered. But for this, the human factor is absolutely necessary.
Legal and ethical questions
In many creative sectors, especially in the film and writing sectors, there is a serious debate about how AI can use copyrighted content and what impact this has on the income of creators. Allegedly, AI models often use creative content without permission, which poses a risk from several perspectives. And besides this, let’s think about those beginner creators who use content offered by AI without interpretation or thought, only to have it turn out in the end that copyrighted content is included in their portfolio.
The development of creative tools does not necessarily mean the end of human creativity.
It is worth integrating AI into our workflows because it frees up the creators’ time. Those who resist the spread of AI may find themselves at a disadvantage similar to those who previously did not accept new digital tools. Surveys confirm that generative AI has not caused a drastic loss in the labor market so far, which shows that the labor market is still adapting and transforming, but not collapsing. Despite the rapid development, jobs do not disappear from one month to the next; they transform.
Instead of the classic „it takes the job” narrative, it is worth focusing on how we can fit AI into our own workflows. AI can help, for example, with fast idea generation, research, and creating basic outlines. However, you should still make valuable, unique, conceptual, and strategic-level creative decisions independently.
It is worth consciously developing the skills that AI is not capable of: deep professional knowledge, critical thinking, client communication, project management, and human intuition. These are areas where human expertise continues to give you a competitive advantage, and where machine help only supports you as a complementary resource.
AI does not replace; it transforms.
The key to success is the ability to consciously and creatively integrate technological development into your own workflows.
FAQ – Will AI Take the Jobs of Creatives?
Will AI truly take the jobs of creatives?
It is not simply black or white. AI does not take away work on its own; it transforms it. While it approaches true quality in routine tasks, a „machine” will never be able to reproduce the individual vision and way of thinking of a real, feeling, and thinking human. The real risk is for those who fall behind and fail to integrate AI into their work.
Who will lose out in the competition because of AI?
Those who do not recognize this direction, fight against it, and are unwilling to keep pace with development may find themselves marginalized. Furthermore, those who try to succeed exclusively with AI-generated content will quickly be revealed, as they lack real professional knowledge and experience behind their work.
How can AI help me if I work in a creative profession?
It is an immensely useful tool for rapid idea generation, research, or creating basic outlines. It is capable of showing multiple perspectives during the design process—ones that wouldn’t normally occur to us. By doing so, it frees up our time for higher-level tasks that represent more added value.
What is the situation with copyrights and ethics?
This is a subject of serious debate, as AI models often use content without permission. It is particularly risky for beginner creators who use AI without interpretation or thought, as it may turn out that copyrighted content is included in their portfolio. Valuable, unique, and strategic decisions must still be made independently.