3/18/2025
On my way into work the other day, I came across a radio talk show where the hosts were discussing AI. Although I was tempted to change the station, the hosts’ comparison of different AI programs intrigued me. They had used Chat GPT and Deep Seek to come up with lyrics for a country song, inputting the same prompts and performing the results on air.
I listened intently as one of the hosts sang each rendition of the song and mentally noted which version I preferred. To be honest, I was expecting to laugh at ridiculous lyrics and contrived rhythm; but while there were only one or two times the songs encouraged a chuckle from me, both were passible. It got me thinking, how many people out there have, or will, use AI-generators for their art? Will humanity seek out AI tools as a way to get around the hard work? Will the human voice and creativity be, ever so slowly, silenced?
AI is permeating our daily lives, but there is some resistance. Over the holidays, Coca-Cola was publicly called out for creating its typically beloved holiday ad with AI. Friends and family have turned to other web search engines as Google’s chatbot, Gemini, has popped up in more and more searches. Even as I work on documents on my personal laptop, I’ve taken to hiding the toolbox so that I don’t have to see Word’s Copilot staring at me.
Call me old-fashioned (don’t worry, I won’t be offended), but I believe the human element in art – from songs and literary feats to sketches and paintings –makes creativity what it is. Generations before us have made amazing works of art using their own ingenuity and contemporary tools. We can do the same. At the same time, I will admit that AI can be used as a tool to help artists with a certain part of their project; I just hope we don’t become reliant on it.
I enjoy the arts and crafts community featured at trade shows and in this magazine exactly for the imagination and resourcefulness of its members. I am excited to attend this year’s Creativation by Namta in April to see what’s new on the market and to meet new faces as we navigate this world together. I am confident that we can keep humanity in the humanities.
Oh, and as for the AI song on the radio, one of the hosts rounded out the session by playing a clip of him singing his original version of the ballad. Reader, let me tell you, my heart flooded with joy when I heard those notes. While the bot-generated attempts were mediocre, this version had a sweetness to it that no machine could replicate. Perhaps the creative voice cannot be so easily silenced.
Speaking of Creativation, we have a preview of the show, set for April 4 to 8 in Seattle. Plus, we’ve highlighted a handful of creative sites in Seattle that attendees can check out. We went behind the scenes of DIY jewelry with Beadalon’s President Mike Shields. Lenz Arts, a retailer in Santa Cruz, CA, shared its rich history and impact on the local art community. Also, don’t miss products that manufacturers and retailers are recommending.
Keep the creativity flowing, and happy reading!
You can e-mail Victoria at victoria@fwpi.com
