AI: Should We Be Scared?
Written by Laura Garcia. Graphic by Laura Garcia.
Since I started my career in graphic design, I’ve been told that artificial intelligence (AI) is going to take over my job, so why bother studying something that’s already a dead end? Well, let me tell you from my experience as a graduate student, AI still has a long way to go before it can replace us.
I’m not a stranger to it. If I’m being honest, without ChatGPT, I wouldn’t even be here at SCAD. So, the real question isn’t whether you use AI or not, it’s how you can use it as a tool to enhance your abilities and support your creative process, rather than replace it.
For instance, thanks to AI platforms, I was able to learn English as my second language just in time to come to Savannah and study abroad. It has helped me find useful references and marketing insights. It has answered my research questions and pointed me toward great essays. It has even helped me create graphic resources and build perfect reference mood boards.
Not once in all those moments have I felt like it’s taking over my job, because I’m not giving away my responsibility. I’m still the one connecting the dots, sketching, thinking and doing. I’m the one behind every beautiful concept or terrible idea. I can’t walk into a client meeting and say, “Sorry, the AI wasn’t working well today.” No, they’re coming to me because they like my abstract thinking, my wild ideas and my weird campaigns. They like that I mess up sometimes, that I learn from it and then kill it with a better campaign. The market today craves authenticity, and that unique creative spark you have as an artist is what will keep you afloat.
So don’t be afraid of AI. Just imagine how artists must’ve felt when Adobe launched its programs, or when digital art first started gaining popularity. They were probably scared too, but here we are, still praising traditional art for its originality and human touch, even more than before. We can evolve. We can diversify. We can change our processes, tools and platforms, but no one can take away our passion. A friend of mine once told me to always have fun with what I do, just like I did when I was a kid, because in the end people can tell. They feel it, and that’s something AI can never replace.
Laura is a Graphic Design M.A. student with a professional background in branding and editorial design. When she is not creating new content for the District, she is probably in Forthside Park running, drawing, having a picnic, or simply soaking up the sun. She takes her coffee very seriously, she is Colombian.
