Is AI Killing Creativity, or Just Redefining It? An Uncomfortable Conversation with Karl Wightman
- lmahrra
- Oct 17, 2025
- 3 min read
When creativity meets code, something fascinating - and a little uncomfortable - happens.
AI is reshaping every part of marketing, from strategy to storytelling, from design to delivery. But as the tools get smarter, are we getting lazier? In this episode of Uncomfortable Conversations, I sit down with designer and creative strategist Karl Wightman to unpack the uncomfortable truth about artificial intelligence: that its greatest risk isn’t replacing creativity, it’s diluting it.
The heart of the conversation:
Karl and I talked about how quickly AI has become a default tool for the next generation, and what that means for marketers who built their craft before algorithms and automation.
“AI isn’t scary because of what it gives us, it’s scary because of what it takes away”
That line stuck with me. Because while AI can generate endless ideas, it can’t replicate experience, empathy, or intuition. The things that make our work resonate with people.
Highlights from our chat:
00:06:00 – The generational divide: how younger professionals use AI as naturally as breathing.
00:10:00 – The rise of ‘AI slop’: why quick wins are eroding authenticity.
00:14:00 – Three camps of marketers: the embracers, the exploiters, and the avoiders. 00:26:00 – AI vs. instinct: how Karl decides when to trust his gut over the machine.
00:35:00 – The future mindset: curiosity and collaboration over fear.
00:48:00 – Karl’s advice: stop fearing the tool - start learning it ethically.
The real question isn’t “Can AI be creative?”
It’s should it?
Karl’s perspective as a designer offered a powerful lens on how AI is already transforming creative disciplines. From “AI-generated” art that mimics Studio Ghibli to presentation tools that claim to replace design thinking, he reminded me of something we too easily forget: technology can produce form, but not feeling.
Creativity isn’t about speed or output. It’s about the process. The missteps, the human friction, the moments of insight that happen when people sit in a room and think together.
Creativity isn’t dying - it’s evolving
What became clear in this conversation is that creativity isn’t dying. It’s evolving. And like every evolution, it’s messy, uncertain, and full of paradox.
“AI might change the tools we use, but it doesn’t change the reason we create — to connect.”
The marketers who will thrive in this next era aren’t the ones who automate faster; they’re the ones who learn how to humanise what they automate. They’ll use AI to amplify, not replace the very thing that makes their work matter: empathy, imagination, and the ability to tell stories that feel alive.
Why You Should Listen
If you’ve ever felt that uneasy tension between excitement and unease when it comes to AI, this episode will resonate. It’s not a debate about machines versus humans; it’s a conversation about balance, responsibility, and the future of creativity itself.
Whether you’re a marketer, designer, or storyteller, this conversation will leave you questioning not just how you use AI but what it means to stay human while you do.
AI isn’t the end of creativity. It’s a mirror reflecting both our brilliance and our blind spots. The real challenge isn’t how to use AI; it’s how to stay human while we do.
💬 And if it sparks something in you, drop a comment or share your perspective; let’s keep the conversation uncomfortable.
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