AI and Creativity, What are humans for?
I first wrote about creativity in a workplace context in 2010. With the increasing presence of AI in the workplace, the subject of creativity has come back into focus. In 2023 World Economic Forum ranked creative thinking as number 2 in the skills needed, nestled between number 1, analytical thinking and number 3 resilience, flexibility and agility.
With AI set to take over more big data and automation tasks, there is a double whammy of change on the workplace, at each end of the pay scale. Highly technical roles are at risk of change and so are the more repetitive data roles.
“Creativity is intelligence having fun!”
Albert Einstein
What does this mean for workplaces and what does this mean for humans and life as we know it?
This is the future skills chart according to World Economic Forum, who also comment in their Future of Jobs report 2023 that employers estimate that 44% of workers skills will be disrupted in the next five years. In a world of growing AI, being truly creative is a human skill that we need to nurture and make part of normal working. The link between AI and creativity is growing.
What is meant by creative thinking and how can you find your creative self?
Creative thinking is considering different ideas, spotting new patterns and gaining new insights, through existing information.
In the workplace this can be considering a new way of workflow, a new product or a different way to use the products you have made. I often consider creativity as taking in a bigger picture of your business or your product and the place it now fills in the world. What new connections could be made and if you didn’t have a preconceived notion of how things are, how could things be?
Global respondents to an ACCA talent survey of accountants – 51% said they were concerned about the impact that AI would have on their on their role.
What are humans for?
If the mundane bits are taken away and the complex calculations are covered by technology, what is left? A lot of technology is there to produce something that serves humans. So, what do we want? Who is going to create that part of our future and what does good look like moving forwards? This is where creativity comes in. If AI is to serve us, how do we want it to serve us?
Human beings are wonderfully complex creatures that rely upon each other for safety and security. Much of the barriers to creativity stem from a desire to remain safe in the pack and not an odd outlier of opinion. But the new world order may well need us to think differently about the role of the pack and what the leader of a pack now looks like. Entrepreneurial spirit has created much innovation, but the necessity which comes from war has created more. So maybe finding your creative self and the creative input of your team is as a much about having permission for your mind to wander and to ask “what if…” without judgement.
Five ways to start a creative spree
1. Stress
When we are under pressure and stress, the blood flows to our limbs to enable flight, and fight. Adrenaline and cortisol are flowing and your physical needs take priority over higher cognitive thinking. When under pressure, 8 out of 10 people struggle to concentrate. This is not a place of great creativity. Artists often talk about getting into flow, where the music, painting etc. emerges without struggle. This is the opposite of stress. So, creativity step one is to relax and become present. Clear away distractions and allocate some time. Sit quietly and observe what is happening around you, the flowers, the sunshine, the traffic, whatever it is. Just sit with it.
2. Environment
What is the right environment for you to be creative? Some people like silence, some people like to chat. Is it outdoors or indoors? If you have a kinaesthetic nature and prefer to be moving maybe going to for a walk will spark some imagination. Change your routine to change your thinking. It requires conscious participation in the day. When I want to write I often go to coffee shops in towns where I haven’t been before. There is no one to distract my thoughts, but there is a raft of new sights and sounds to speak to my creativity.
3. Assumptions
Another approach to creativity is to challenge your assumptions. Talk to someone who doesn’t know anything about the topic. Allow them to ask probing questions. As you answer those questions be honest about why things are the way they are. What would happen if it was different ? If the reason why it can’t be different is because of another person’s needs or behaviours, consider the truth of their perceived inability to flex. Strategies change and people adapt, so why not now?
4. Passion
What do you talk about with passion? What have you noticed about that topic? Do you know lots about it and are able to spot patterns relating to it that others cannot immediately see? Take what you know and separate pure facts from usual outcomes. What if it was done differently?
5. Collaborative working
Who said this needs to be a singular effort? Extraverts can find it beneficial to talk thought their thoughts and ideas and from that new ideas are formed. So, are you a lone creator or a group creator or a bit of both?
The future of work is changing and workplaces, leaders and individuals need to see these changes on the horizon and the rise to fulfil this potential. You can use AI to become more creative and to get a conversation started. You can use AI to remove the mundane tasks from your life to give space for more creativity. AI and creativity are mutually supporting and a way that humans can embrace this new world.
If you liked this blog, take a look at out other blog Growing Your Creative Superpower
If you want to grow the creativity of your team, take a look at our leadership courses, we have one on AI and creativity
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