Lightricks: How AI-powered image creation (and editing) will impact the creator economy
We’re in an exciting moment for the world of AI. Recent advances in AI tool development and adoption, alongside the growing creator economy, have led to a boom in “generative” tools such as Dall-E 2 and Jasper AI, which are specifically focused on helping streamline the creative process. While some creators have a complex relationship with AI, there is no denying the broad opportunities these tools are creating.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Brett Welch, VP of product management at Lightricks, a company whose image editing and creation tool, Photoleap, has aggressively begun to incorporate AI into its platform over the past year.
As Welch reveals, there are actually many ways in which AI can help creators perform even better than in the past.
Exciting Use Cases for AI Image Creation
Welch highlights several options for AI image creation that his company has already begun to implement. “Image generation is especially exciting,” he says.
“You can submit a short text description and have AI generate a visual based on that description in seconds. Or you can sketch an image, describe what you want it to be transformed into, and AI will fill in the details. AI can learn different art concepts and use that to quickly generate images on its own.”
Welch notes that this can be especially helpful in situations where creators are trying to “complete” an image, such as manipulating the visual contexts around product imagery.
“Photo editing is undergoing a complete revolution thanks to generative AI. Not only will you be able to create an image from a snippet of text, you can also take existing photos and images and transform them, adding and removing elements in a photorealistic way, re-imagining the setting, background, lighting, and even the pose or positioning of the subject. Photo editing will not just be for color and shadows, but about using the photo’s contents as building blocks to tell the exact story you want to convey.”
AI’s Influence on the Creator Economy
These use cases can clearly make an impact by allowing individuals — even those without an artistic background — to use AI to create art quickly. “All of a sudden, creators have a new starting point that can save them a lot of time and money,” Welch says.
“Rather than needing a lot of photos or making a lot of sketches to find inspiration, now all you need is to ask AI to generate some initial concepts, and with a few simple edits you are on your way. But even if you don’t use the image that AI produces in any way, creators are finding that those quick creations can provide a host of new ideas that kick start the creative process.”
Unsurprisingly, there is concern that generative AI could upend creators as businesses try to find the cheapest solutions for content production. However, Welch believes that AI can actually open up new opportunities for creators as they collaborate with brands that are experimenting with AI imagery.
“For example, AI is very useful for generating variations on an idea — like creating new product images for a brand that they already own. But even though AI can produce very good work, the quality of the results are still improving, and images still usually need some polishing before they can be used in an actual marketing campaign,” he explains.
“Creators have an opportunity here by working with brands to enhance AI-produced content, and even potentially to help feed creative concepts to the tool in the first place.”
In other words, the use of AI doesn’t mean that the creator economy is going to disappear. But it will change how creators work with brands and how they produce their own original content.
Preparing for the Future
To Welch, AI’s applications in image creation and editing open up new frontiers for creators — including the potential to help more people become creators in the first place. “Visual social media’s permeation into society has led to more and more people wanting to take on the role of photographers and artists — but they don’t always have the full skillset or ideas needed to achieve their potential,” he says.
“AI helps unleash an individual’s full creativity, regardless of their base skill level. It’s just like how calculators have changed the way we do math, making it more accessible and easier for everyone. AI can do the same for art and images. AI will help everyone express their creativity, regardless of their knowledge or access to particular tools. Just as having a camera in your smartphone made you a potential photographer, now anyone can get inspired and create art.”
As with any other technology tool, creators must learn how to work hand in hand with AI to unlock its full potential. Those who take the time to learn the technology will be able to improve their ability to get AI to generate and edit images in their preferred style, allowing them to develop their own distinct sensibilities as a creator.
Only now, they can create and curate that content faster than ever, opening up more opportunities for building their personal brand or partnering with companies to monetize their work.
Strengthening the Creator Economy
As Welch’s comments reveal, while AI can certainly be viewed as a threat by some, it doesn’t have to be. Rather, creators should consider how they can use AI to improve their own image creation and editing processes.
Whether that comes in the form of unearthing new content ideas or streamlining editing, using AI ultimately has the potential to be a boon for the creator economy for those who are willing to innovate and embrace its potential.