OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT update has created some breathtaking art, but it’s also led people to question what’ll happen to artists and graphic designers in the coming years. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, however, believes that they’ll still play a role.
OpenAI CEO Altman has addressed the impact of AI on creative fields on a podcast. He hints at a future where AI augments human creativity rather than replaces it entirely. He even hints at the possibility of increased earnings for those who master the interplay between human skill and AI tools.
“There will be some jobs that totally go away or an AI just does end-to-end,” Altman said about how AI could impact graphic design and video editing jobs. “No doubt, it’s going to change the workflow of a graphic designer and some things that some people were paid for, they won’t be paid for those tasks. (But) Taste still really matters,” he added.
Altman drew a parallel with the history of graphic design: “When we went from graphic design having to do everything with paper and pencil to having computer tools, they were able to do more and do better, but we still needed a lot of good graphic design in the world.”
“So there will still be people that are in charge of, you know, making a website look great,” Altman asserted. “But the expectations of how good a website looks just go up a lot and we all get better stuff. Maybe there are fewer people that do that, but they make much more money.”
He concluded with a thought-provoking idea: “And maybe there are *more* people that do it because we just have, you know, an explosion of how many websites we can get. Maybe it turns out there was way more demand for graphic design in the world than we could afford to fulfill.”
Altman’s perspective offers a sense of optimism for creative professionals. While acknowledging that certain tasks will be automated, he emphasizes the enduring importance of human taste and judgment. The ability to leverage AI tools effectively will become a crucial skill, potentially leading to higher earnings for those who master it. This suggests a shift in the graphic design profession, not an elimination. Designers will likely become more specialized, focusing on high-level creative direction and leveraging AI to handle more mundane tasks.
Moreover, Altman’s suggestion of increased demand is intriguing. As AI reduces the cost and time involved in design, it could unlock a vast reservoir of unmet demand, potentially creating more opportunities for designers. The future of graphic design, in Altman’s view, seems to be one of evolution and adaptation, with AI serving as a powerful tool to enhance, not replace, human creativity.