Artists are losing work, wages, and hope as bosses and clients embrace AI

This article by Brian Merchant explores how generative AI is disrupting creative industries, sharing firsthand accounts from artists, illustrators, and designers whose livelihoods have been impacted by the technology. The piece reveals that while AI output is often unreliable for accuracy-dependent work, companies are increasingly using it for creative tasks because it's deemed "good enough" and significantly cheaper than hiring human artists.

The testimonies paint a stark picture of an industry in transition, where traditional creative roles are vanishing or being devalued. From costume designers facing impossible AI-generated designs to children's book illustrators watching their profession disappear, the stories illustrate both the economic and psychological toll of technological displacement.

• Creative work hit hardest: Unlike expectations that AI would automate dangerous or mundane tasks, it's primarily targeting creative fields like illustration, graphic design, and art
• "Good enough" principle: Companies choose AI not because it's superior, but because it meets minimum standards while drastically cutting costs
• Widespread job displacement: Artists report sudden income drops, dried-up client bases, and entire sectors like advertising illustration virtually disappearing
• Identity crisis beyond economics: Beyond financial impacts, creators face accusations of using AI themselves and struggle with the devaluation of human artistic expression