Is AI truly stealing from creatives?

Creatives express concerns that AI is infringing on the intellectual property of artists. And they’re right—AI was trained on content created by humans.

But haven’t all creators learned from the artistic masters before them? Did today’s writers pay Plato, Shakespeare, Dickens, or Dostoevsky? The reality is that we all learn by studying what came before us. AI just happens to learn and iterate infinitely faster than we ever could. And that poses a challenge that deeply unsettles many artists. That’s why they voice their concerns—because, deep down, many know they may struggle to compete.

The driving force behind many artists’ demands isn’t just about justice—it’s about fear. Fear of losing not just their livelihood, but, more importantly, the identity they’ve dedicated their lives to, even when it hasn’t always been financially rewarding.

Like politicians who spend much of their time fundraising to secure the next election, it doesn’t make much sense for artists to spend their energy protesting and lobbying to halt AI’s progress. Creatives are far better off returning to the spirit of uncertainty and adventure that led them to pursue their careers, rather than clinging to an artistic practice that, for many, has become just another routine.

If AI can create our art, is our art truly worth making? And was it ever really art?