The case for creatives in AI
AI is the buzzword now, dominating conversations and corporate strategies alike. After working at several companies, I’ve learned that even the most advanced AI can’t solve one of corporate's biggest problems: breaking down the silos that cause inefficiencies, waste time and money, and lead to endless rework.
To a farmer, a silo is a good thing—a place to store crops, prepare for after the growing season and create a safety net. It preserves what's inside for a rainy day. For the corporate world, preservation kills; great ideas die in isolation. No amount of AI will get us out of this, but better collaboration, with the help of AI, might do the trick.
In my experience, the creative process thrives on collaboration. Working with stakeholders across departments, I’ve seen how collective brainstorming and shared objectives can create unforgettable experiences that exceed user expectations. The magic happens when diverse perspectives come together, breaking free from their silos, to solve problems creatively and strategically.
If one more person tells me that AI won’t replace my job, but the “person who uses AI will replace my job,” I might scream. Sure, it’s true, but the conversation is much bigger than that. It’s not just about the tools we use but about who’s wielding them. And I’m telling you, it better be a capital “C” creative.
Here are two ways AI can help break down silos and empower creativity:
1. Free up your creatives' time by eliminating busy work.
Content designers, visual designers, researchers, and technical writers are the powerhouse behind great product experiences. They need more time to show management and leadership how their ideas will shape the future of the product. While you can't take them out of designing or add more hours to their day, you can use Figma's new AI tools to create more cohesive components and brand libraries, ensuring consistency across departments. This trims their day, allowing them to socialize their genuinely innovative ideas. Too often, great ideas get lost behind the drive for consistency. AI can handle consistency, freeing the rest of us to create something new—something AI can't do.
2. Don't confuse efficiency with originality.
AI is a game-changer for going multi-modal with existing content. However, it's not going to give you new ideas right now. And that's a seriously important part of the conversation. My favorite thing to see on Reddit are threads like "Is ChatGPT getting dumber?" The tool learns from us, and if we keep inputting the same information, it will keep simplifying the same things repeatedly. It grows on what we feed it, and if we never input "new," it will never be "new." Who excels at innovation? Your creatives, engineers, and innovators. Give them the tools; don't eliminate them, and you'll be rewarded with more intelligent, efficient, and better-designed experiences.
I've seen firsthand how working the problem together and integrating feedback from all corners of an organization leads to success. It's about strategic time management, planning for success, and visualizing exceptional experiences. We need to create environments where ideas can flow freely and AI tools are used for efficiency and innovation.
Breaking down silos isn’t just a corporate buzzword; it’s a necessity. By fostering collaboration and leveraging AI thoughtfully, we can overcome inefficiencies and build a culture where creativity and technology coexist, driving us towards unforgettable experiences and extraordinary results.