BUSAY, Cebu City-As generative AI tools make it possible to produce creative outputs in seconds, the same tools designed to assist people are also raising questions about human dependence on technology.
When almost anyone can generate a finished product with a few prompts, what makes a creative professional’s work distinct, and how can they continue to demonstrate its value? These questions took center stage during a talk, titled ‘How to Differentiate Your Art in the AI Era?’ by Carla Adlawan, a copywriter and advertising instructor at the University of San Carlos’ College of Fine Arts, on October 23, during the third edition of TOPS ArtFest in the highlands of Busay, Cebu City.
‘The barrier to entry has become lower. Anybody can be a graphic designer, anybody can be a writer, anybody can craft a great business plan, anybody can be a poet,’ Adlawan said. ‘Anything is possible with your generative [AI].’
She added that faster and cheaper production poses another challenge for creative professionals, as clients and customers may question the need to pay for work they can generate themselves. Yet, Adlawan sees this shift not only as a challenge but also as an opportunity for human creatives to distinguish themselves beyond the final output.
Rather than compete with AI solely on the speed or cost of production, artists and other creative professionals can offer what goes into shaping the work: creative direction, original concepts, and the decisions that give an idea its purpose.
‘Remember, generative AI is based on everything that already exists on the internet. Nothing new, nothing unique,’ Adlawan said.
THE HUMAN DEPTH
THE speaker emphasized that artists must create work with meaning and value, while recognizing that these qualities can be subjective. Technical execution alone does not necessarily make a piece distinctive; what matters is how artists use their judgment, perspectives and intentions to shape their work, she said.
‘It’s not enough to stand out. So, artists have to be competitive by using your human advantage, what AI cannot bring in the same way,’ Adlawan said.
‘Don’t be afraid of AI. It’s not going to take over your life. Because, yes, AI can generate possibilities-but you bring lived experiences. You bring intentions. You bring relationships. You bring decisions that you made,’ she added.
WHAT MAKES ART MATTER
SPEAKING to students, artists and other creatives during the session, held under the festival’s theme ‘Building and Breaking Norms: Art Beyond the Canvas,’ Adlawan outlined five human advantages that artists can draw on to distinguish their work in an increasingly AI-driven industry.
Lived experience. She shared that an artist’s life can serve as a source of original material, shaped by the places they have lived, the people they have encountered, and the experiences that inform their understanding of the world.
To illustrate this, Adlawan asked the audience to consider how artists might depict their neighborhoods. One might portray a gated subdivision with high walls, landscaped pathways and neatly maintained surroundings. Another might illustrate a lively Filipino neighborhood filled with sari-sari stores, basketball courts, barangay halls, and roadside barbecue stalls.
Although both artists respond to the same subject, their interpretations would differ according to their experiences and observations. These details, including familiar scenes and shared moments of humor, provide material that artists can draw on to make their work personal and relatable.
Cultural context. Culture also offers another source of creative distinction through its symbols, traditions, histories and everyday practices. Artists interpret these references through their own perspectives, giving their work a cultural context that goes beyond visual execution.
Personal perspective. Artists bring their own interpretations as well. What they notice, question or consider worth exploring can become the foundation of their creative work. This perspective influences the ideas they develop and the subjects they choose to bring to life that allows them to approach familiar themes from different angles.
Taste and judgment. An artist’s creative choices are also shaped by personal taste, which develops through exposure to books, music, people, clothing, visual art and other influences. These preferences inform an artist’s style, from illustration techniques and storytelling approaches to the visual references they draw on. While AI can generate images based on a prompt, Adlawan stressed the importance of the judgment behind the creative decisions that give a work its distinct character.
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Intention. Finally, Adlawan emphasized that art goes beyond producing images. It can serve as a form of expression, investigation, documentation or protest. Artists may use their work to examine social issues, preserve cultural traditions, document meaningful memories, or express their responses to events unfolding around them. Their intentions determine what they want to communicate, why a subject matters and what they hope audiences will take away from the work.