How AI unleashed (not replaced) my creativity | Kelly A. Boesch

The podcast opens with a discussion on the heated debates surrounding AI and art, questioning whether AI threatens human creativity or serves as a tool to expand it. Kelly Besch, a visual artist and filmmaker, shares her perspective on how she has integrated AI into her creative process, transforming her approach to art and storytelling.

Kelly Besch describes her evolution from working in traditional creative fields like film, fashion, and graphic design to embracing AI as a central creative partner. She details how AI has enabled her to realize visions previously unattainable, boosting her imagination and producing a unique signature style. Kelly also discusses her process of integrating AI into various art forms including images, short films, and music, and shares her excitement over her recent success, including landing a record deal.

Kelly addresses common questions about whether AI-created art is truly art and discusses the personal nature of her creative process. She explains how AI tools are trained on reference materials like nature, fashion, and her own ideas, rather than other artists' work, and emphasizes that art is ultimately about joy and personal expression. She discusses the trial-and-error involved in guiding AI to create her desired aesthetic and highlights how AI, when imbued with human empathy and intention, can be a powerful creative collaborator.

Kelly provides a behind-the-scenes look at her process for creating AI images, comparing initial outputs with more refined, personalized results achieved through training the AI on her style. She emphasizes the importance of experimentation and training in crafting artwork that reflects her vision and states that AI has helped her produce her best work yet, opening up new possibilities in her artistic practice.

Kelly shares her optimistic outlook on the future of AI in art, describing it as a renaissance with endless possibilities. She highlights how AI is democratizing creativity, allowing even those who have never considered themselves artistic to explore and express their ideas. Her message encourages listeners to experiment with AI, find joy in the process, and embrace the surprises it can bring.