Carrie Bickner

If you’re an artist or creative, this is your call to action. Generative AI isn’t just a shiny new toy for tech enthusiasts; it’s a space where the future of creativity is being shaped in real time. And whether that future is vibrant and expansive or narrow and derivative depends on who shows up.

Two days ago, Reid Hoffman shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence during an interview with Stephen Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO. Hoffman described AI as a “savant”—a tool that amplifies whatever it’s given, synthesizing ideas and even generating counterarguments. It’s a powerful metaphor, one that reframes AI from being some ubiquitous, creeping monster to being an eager, capable collaborator. Hoffman’s insights were yet another thread in a larger tapestry of ideas I’ve been working on, crystallizing some of my own thoughts about how generative AI can reshape creativity and why it’s critical for creatives to engage with it now. 

It’s easy to think of the field of generative AI as belonging to young men in their 30s, driving Teslas, trading Bitcoin, and waxing poetic about libertarian ideals. If that worldview doesn’t exactly resonate with you, you’re not alone. For many creatives, the culture surrounding tech can feel alienating or even like a reason to avoid engaging altogether. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: if we don’t step into this space now, we’re leaving it to those same voices to define what AI becomes. If that doesn’t sit well with you, good. Because the only way to ensure the richness and diversity of AI’s evolution is to step into the conversation and start shaping it ourselves.

Generative AI often gets misunderstood as a creeping, omnipresent monster that’s spying on humanity and hoarding our secrets. The reality is far less dramatic—and far more interesting. Generative AI isn’t sentient. It doesn’t “know” anything the way humans do. What it does is process vast amounts of data and use statistical patterns to generate responses, whether that’s text, images, or music. Think of it as an extraordinarily fast pattern-matcher. Hoffman’s savant metaphor captures this perfectly: AI chatbots are brilliant at amplifying and synthesizing ideas, but only within the context of the input they’re given. They’re not inventors; they’re collaborators.

And yet, there’s something about the act of collaborating with AI that reshapes how you think. One project, in particular, took me deeper than I expected. Helkarr. What fascinated me was the idea of isolating a language, carving it out as though I could go back in time and listen to what might have been spoken in the age of orality before literacy. I started with a fascination for Finnish as a language isolate and let it evolve into an imagined linguistic world. Working with my chatbot, I began to sketch its grammar and history, imagining how it might have sounded, how meaning was shaped without the structure of written language. Each step pulled me further into its possibilities, and Helkarr became more than just a constructed language—it became a way to explore the primal connection between language, history, and the physical world.

Another question I’ve been indulging has to do with randomness and divination. This is an unfolding project, so I’ll only hint at it for now: grids of coins, directions tied to meaning, and random numbers revealing patterns in unexpected places. It’s not just about the systems themselves; it’s about the way these experiments are rearranging my thinking as they take shape. If you’re curious, keep coming back. There’s more to discover.

The Future Needs You

Generative AI is not a perfect tool, but that’s precisely why you need to engage with it. Creativity thrives on experimentation, on making things, testing them, and breaking them to see what remains. If you’re a creative, this is your invitation to play with generative AI. Build your ideas. Push their limits. Ask questions you’ve never dared to ask and see where the answers lead you.

This isn’t just about your work—it’s about shaping the future of creativity. Share what you discover. Let others see what’s possible. The more voices, perspectives, and experiments we pour into this space, the richer and more vibrant it becomes.

The world of generative AI is unfolding right now. Don’t let someone else define it for you. Pick up the tools, start exploring, and make your mark.