By KiKi Skinner
Opinion | Music, Entertainment & Technology
The entertainment industry and artificial intelligence (AI)? Hmmm. Now, that's a conversation worth having.
While watching John Legend's appearance on Shawn Stockman's On That Note, in an episode titled John Legend | Working With Kanye West in G.O.O.D Music & His New Album MUSE With Pharrell Williams, I found myself revisiting a subject that continues to generate debate throughout the entertainment industry: the role of AI in artistic expression.
The discussion brought me back to a position I've maintained for years as a music journalist: AI should be used as a tool, not as a replacement for talent. Humans were created. Humans created machines, including AI. It is our brains, imagination, emotions, and creative instincts that made these technological advancements possible in the first place. And I firmly believe that those who recognize this distinction, whether they use AI or not, will ultimately stand out.
We must never confuse the capabilities of the creation with the creativity of its creator.
The Human Element
What will ultimately distinguish authentic creators from those who rely entirely on AI to represent them as artists is the HUMAN element.
When it's time to step away from the computer and actually exhibit those emotions, tell that story, and connect with an audience of human beings – whether through music, fashion, performance, or another artistic medium – that's when the difference will become evident.
The true creators will remain. Others may break, crash, and fail under the weight of an artistic identity they cannot authentically sustain.
There will always be originators, innovators, and creators. And there will always be those who imitate.
What Happens When Human Creativity Goes Offline?
And here's something else to think about: What if human beings stopped sharing their creativity on the internet? What if we returned to paper and pen, face-to-face conversations, live performances, and the HUMAN EAR?
Where would AI get its next generation of original human experiences, expressions, and ideas to learn from?
Yes, AI has already been trained on enormous amounts of previously created material, but where did that material originate? HUMAN BEINGS!
Imagine a world where the next great song is heard only in a room full of people. Where poetry is handwritten and passed from one person to another. Where a designer's next creation is experienced on a runway rather than uploaded to a platform.
Would any of that creativity cease to exist simply because it wasn't documented digitally? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
A song can exist without being streamed. A painting can exist without being photographed. A story can exist without being uploaded. And an audience can be moved without an algorithm ever knowing it happened.
Human creativity can exist without AI. But, AI would not exist without human creativity and intelligence.
The Illusion of Artistry Versus the Reality of Talent
There is a difference between producing something that appears artistic and possessing the creative ability behind it.
Technology can generate content, but it cannot automatically give someone the lived experience, emotional depth, artistic instincts, or authenticity required to connect with another human being.
AI can help create the illusion of artistry, but it cannot guarantee the ability to sustain the reality of being an artist.
Creativity Cannot Be Replaced
AI is not going away, nor does it have to. The responsibility lies in how we choose to use it and whether we continue to recognize and value the human talent behind artistic expression.
As creators and audiences, we must be willing to distinguish between technology that supports an artistic vision and technology that substitutes for one.
The machine is a product of human ingenuity, not the source of it.
And THAT is where the true artist will continue to distinguish themselves.
Related Viewing: Shawn Stockman's On That Note — John Legend | Working With Kanye West in G.O.O.D Music & His New Album MUSE With Pharrell Williams