Illustrators confront AI anxiety: Is commercial art dying or evolving?
By
Tom May
Crisp on the outside, thoughtful on the inside. A keeper.
Summary
An anonymous illustrator expresses deep anxiety about AI replacing human artists, citing drying inboxes and a terrible year. Creative Boom's community of illustrators responds with hard-won insights on survival and adaptation, arguing that while AI is faster and cheaper, human creativity, emotional depth, and irreplaceable artistic vision remain valuable. The article explores the tension between technological disruption and the enduring need for authentic human-made art in commercial illustration.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledEverywhere I look, someone's declaring illustration dead.
AI is faster. Clients are cheaper. Trends move at a horrifying pace.
I've been watching my inbox dry up for months, and it's been the worst year on record in over a decade.
I'm wondering if I've backed the wrong horse. Be honest... is illustration on life support, or are we all just losing our heads?
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