AI's Swiss Watch Effect: The Value Of Human Creativity And Skills
AI's Swiss Watch Effect: The Value Of Human Creativity And Skills
What A 5-Minute Conversation With An Artist Taught Me About The State Of AI Adoption
I’ve been thinking about the value of human creativity lately. I am still forming my opinion on whether, where, and when the result of human creativity is a real differentiator vs. just a “nice hobby”. But a recent interaction that turned from small talk to resonating more deeply is a good reminder of the impact of AI and the range of mindsets with which people are viewing AI — and that applies to your business as well.
Before we talk about what all of that has to do with Swiss watches, let me share a brief story to illustrate the point…
AI’s Impact: Conversation with an Artist
Last week, I attended SAP’s annual Sapphire conference in Orlando. Naturally, AI was the talk of the town among the 12,000+ attendees, but that’s a separate topic. During a reception in the evening, I had a conversation with a sketch artist while he was drawing the sketch below:
“I have to be an artist,” Kenny said.
It was one of these rare moments that you don’t expect a tech conference.
Yet, this one sentence says it all.
As Kenny was drawing this sketch of me, I shared that I value his human creativity and skill.
I asked what he thought about AI.
“It’s already taking away some of my business,” he shared. So, he’s started digital sculpting and 3D animation.
I asked whether he’s ever tried using any AI tools, and shared that he could perfect what average GenAI users don’t know how to do (and charge for it).
“They’ve taken art and illegally built their AI with it. The art I’ve posted could be in it, too. I don’t want to use it.”
I admitted he had a valid point.
“Maybe GenAI will be like CGI: Lots of excitement at the beginning until people realize you need natural effects,” he added.
And our conversation comes full circle — maybe we’ll eventually value human creativity and skill again more at some point.
Until then, Kenny said, he will continue transitioning into new creative topics.
“I have to be an artist. It’s the only thing I know.”
As he hands me the sketch, I let him know how profound that statement is.
And I leave, wondering what to make of it.
What would you have said to Kenny?
Democratizing Access: Parallels Between Time and AI
A basic digital watch costs just over $15. It tells the date and time, maybe it has a timer or stopwatch feature, but that’s about it. Companies like Casio have made it affordable for anyone to own one. The software industry would call this "democratizing access to time.” These watches are functional, not necessarily fashionable. If all you want is knowing what date and time it is, by all means, here’s a tool that does just that.
In many ways, the first wave of Generative AI scenarios is the equivalent of the mass-market digital watch, democratizing access to productivity. Whether it’s writing e-mails, touching up stock images, or recording videos with AI-based avatars. $20 per user per month for ChatGPT is a good example. But productivity does not automatically equal value. Writing a note fast isn’t the same as writing it well — or writing it from the heart.
Other companies’ watches, such as Rolex’s, can do the same and tell the time. But their price is higher by orders of magnitude (about 100-1,000x higher!). They are handmade, guaranteed to run, and hold their value (or even appreciate) like only few other products do. They have also become a status symbol not everyone can afford. But the value of a Swiss watch does not come from it telling the time. It’s the value of human ingenuity and the products reliability.
We value handmade items with intricate details that require human skill to create. They are sold at a premium. I wonder if we will see the same happen for content and works of art that people create. Maybe we will see people in the future put labels underneath their text saying “Created with human skills.”
Maybe human skill, original ideas, and creativity will be valued again — and maybe even higher than today. Maybe we will want a human to write or create certain things, because it’s not a rinse and repeat of what someone else has already done.
Until then, though, I personally see more upside in using AI than pivoting away from it.
But I respect a principled “I don’t want to use it.”
Summary
Generative AI is promising productivity increases for businesses. Depending upon the profession, individuals are already seeing the effects. What price tag do we put on human skills? And what are these skills? Similar to other commodities like watches telling the time, there are different market segments. It’s about identifying your niche and skimming the top while charging a premium or going broad and scaling with the help of AI tools.
Would you pay a premium for a product or service, because a person has created it?
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