Computers and Creativity · Molly Mielke

As calculators shifted math from rote computation to conceptual exploration, AI nudges creativity towards the uniquely human - the emotional, the ethical, the culturally resonant. It’s not a duel at dawn with paintbrushes or pianos but a partnership, with AI as the trusty sidekick, expanding the canvas of human expression.

For creatives, it’s import... See more

Our interfaces should facilitate prose-sculpting, meaning-architecting, memory-augmenting, and inspiration-harvesting—all grounded in sources we love and trust. Just as calculators shifted math from rote computation to conceptual exploration, AI can nudge creative work toward the things humans are uniquely good at: thinking and feeling deeply.

There's this idea floating around that using AI means you're somehow cheating the creative process or making it too easy.

But that's NOT how I use AI at all.

When I work with AI, I'm not checking out of the creative process. I'm fully in it—throwing questions, bouncing ideas, asking for rephrasing, exploring different angles.

This is VERY different to... See more

The more I use AI, the more I realize ignoring its creative potential is like dismissing the ‘90s internet as a porn delivery system.

At first, I saw using AI as a binary choice between soulless efficiency or becoming a luddite and preserving your authentic human creativity.

Over the last few months, Claude has become my dream creative partner, and I... See more