22/06/2025

ON SUNDAY JUNE 22, 2025 theSunday Special VII

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Does AI foster or hinder creativity?

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BY ASHRAF WAHAB

I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.”

Joanna Maciejewska

WE don’t need to fear AI, but we do need to use it wisely. Like any tool, it has the potential to enhance or erode our skills, depending on how we wield it. Just as the printing press didn’t kill storytelling but transformed it, AI can redefine creativity without replacing it. So, does AI foster or hinder creativity? The answer is, it can do both. The key lies in our choices. Are we using AI to explore and expand our ideas or are we letting it do the work while we step back? If we go with Joanna Maciejewska’s vision, AI should help us with the laundry and dishes, not take over the joy, mess and meaning of making art ourselves. Even the smartest AI can’t quite capture the joy of doodling your mamak order on a napkin during a rainy KL afternoon. That magic? Still 100% human. In case you were wondering, this article was NOT written by AI. Final thoughts: Use, don’t abdicate

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