Source: DALL-E / OpenAI
What if the greatest threat to human creativity is not that artificial intelligence (AI) will surpass us, but that we will question what remains uniquely us? As machines begin to master the art of creation – writing, composing and perhaps even dreaming – do we risk losing our most essential form of expression? Or is there something deeper, more existential, that AI can never touch?
As AI continues on its largely benevolent but intrusive trajectory, there is a general belief that machines will outperform humans in many areas of cognitive skills. AI already generates art, composes music and even creates poetry. But amid these technological advances lies a question that goes to the core of human existence: what remains truly and uniquely human in the realm of creativity?
The answer may not lie in the cognitive domain, but in the emotional and existential depths that machines cannot replicate. This is existential creativity – a form of expression that transcends data, algorithms and mere problem solving, and is instead rooted in the human experience of grappling with life’s most fundamental questions.
The nature of existential creativity
Existential creativity is not just about producing something new. It is a reflection of our deepest emotions – fear, joy, love, loss – and our desire to make sense of life’s uncertainties. It is creativity that arises from the human need to face the essential questions of existence: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of all this?
Unlike AI, which generates creative output based on pattern recognition and data synthesis, existential creativity is shaped by struggle, conflict and the search for meaning. Consider the work of Vincent van Gogh. His art was not driven by technical perfection or efficiency, but by an emotional and existential turmoil that shaped his worldview. Van Gogh’s creativity was a direct expression of his inner chaos, his need to find beauty and purpose in a life of suffering.
While AI can produce art and music that mimic human creativity, it lacks this existential depth. Machines do not create from a place of personal struggle or emotional desire. They don’t look for meaning in their results. Human existential creativity, on the other hand, is often irrational and unpredictable and arises from the tension between our desire for order and the chaos of life itself.
Mortality and the urge to create
One of the most powerful drivers of human creativity is our sense of mortality. Knowing that life is finite creates an urgency to express something, to leave something behind, to transcend the limits of our time on earth. This is why so much human creativity – whether in art, literature or philosophy – is a response to the existential reality of death.
Writers such as Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky imbued their work with themes such as life, death and the search for meaning. Their creations were not simply intellectual exercises, but deeply personal explorations of the human condition. AI, on the other hand, does not struggle with mortality. It does not create out of fear of its own end or out of the desire to leave a legacy. It generates output, but it lacks the existential urgency that drives so much human creativity.
The search for meaning in chaos
Human creativity often arises from the need to find order in chaos, as evidenced by movements such as Dadaism and Surrealism, which emerged in response to war and political unrest. These movements broke down traditional forms to explore the absurdity and unpredictability of existence. Picasso’s cubism similarly disrupted conventional perspectives and offered fragmented, multi-dimensional views of reality. His work, influenced by ideas like the fourth dimension, wasn’t just about aesthetic appeal – it was about confronting the complexities of a rapidly changing world.
Creativity essential reading
AI, on the other hand, does not create in response to chaos or crisis. While it processes data and generates results, it lacks the human drive to think about meaning or understand uncertainty. Picasso’s explorations in Cubism sought to push the boundaries of understanding and reveal deeper truths about reality. In contrast, AI results may lack this existential inquiry, missing the uniquely human drive to transform disorder into meaning.
Creativity as a mirror of the self
Human creativity is also deeply connected to identity. We create as a way to express who we are, both as individuals and as a collective. Our art, literature and music reflect our evolving understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. For example, Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits were not just depictions of her physical appearance, but intimate explorations of her identity, pain, and resilience. Her art acted as a mirror of her inner world, a way to process her personal struggles and share her unique perspective on life.
AI has no self to explore. It lacks a sense of identity or personal history, and its creativity is driven purely by algorithms and input, not the personal journey of discovery that defines much of human creative expression. While AI can mimic creativity, its output often feels dull, devoid of the emotional resonance and inner life that give human art its profound depth.
Creativity in the cognitive age
As we enter the cognitive age, where AI plays an increasingly dominant role in cognitive tasks, existential creativity may become the final frontier of human expression. In a future where machines take on much of the intellectual workload, humans may turn to art, philosophy and emotional expression as a way to differentiate themselves. This could even spark a new creative renaissance, one focused less on technological innovation and more on exploring the depths of our shared human experience.
Existential creativity is not about producing something new for the sake of innovation. It’s about understanding what it means to be human. In a world where AI excels at logic, reasoning and even creative output, humans can continue to lead the way in emotional depth, existential exploration and the search for meaning. This kind of creativity, rooted in the human condition, could be the final frontier – a place that AI, for all its advances, can never fully reach.
And perhaps the true value of human expression will remain in this existential creativity long after AI has mastered the art of creation.
