Open AI's new 4o Image Generation is making me question the future of the creative industry

In case you missed it, Open AI has released new image generation capabilities we haven't seen in one easy-to-use model before.
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It has a much better understanding of what it is being asked to do (prompt adherence) and the ability to edit images via text request.
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That doesn't sound exciting but frankly it is impressive and it opens up a lot of questions about the future of design.

Let me elaborate:

I found this pink image on Open AI's explore page, and it highlights two points:
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This was one of the most popular images that day, which hints at how people are feeling about this new model. AI has somehow sucked the joy and meaning out of creating art, its chepened the process to a point where the desire to create has been killed.
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That's a sad thought. Understandable, but not something I agree with.
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Creativity is a fundamental human joy, and it's not going anywhere.
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It demonstrates a shift that has been coming for a long time. The technical skills of producing work are becoming less valuable.​
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The value is (and always has been) about the quality of the idea and how well you answer the brief. Concept and strategy have always been of higher value than the person on the tools making the thing. AI just accelerates that.

A Lovely Thought... But There's a Problem

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Secondly. Isn't it a lovely idea that creatives will be valued for their great ideas and AI will just do the (boring?) production work.
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Well, there's a problem, and it's called copyright.

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The pink image above was found - the blue image I blatantly ripped off or 'appropriated'.
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Now, in this murky world of AI, did I violate copyright or did I just do something a little unethical?
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The problem is with the unresolved issue of AI ownership how can I protect my ideas and earn a living from creative work?
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Many AI tools like Sora and Midjourney have explore pages of trending images encouraging people to remix concepts and use the style of other real-world artists like filters.

The laws that have protected artists and made it possible to earn a living are being slowly eroded while governments do very little to protect the creative industry.
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The Solution?

I don't think it's a realistic or intelligent option to ignore these tools but it's understandable that this could cause AI anxiety.
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So, here's what we can do:

Value your creativity like athletes value their bodies. Exercise it and protect it. The technical skills are devaluing so focus on great ideas, concepts and strategy.

Build your resilience and adaptability. Adopt a growth mindset. Learn how to use AI to your advantage but also learn how to learn. Meta-learning is going to be more important in a rapidly changing world.
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Become the artist. An artist has a story, an artist has a point of view, and an artist has a process that AI will never be able to replicate. The output might look similar but its the story humans buy into.
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Be Confident. Don't worry about things that haven't happened and may never happen. That's called anxiety, and it serves little purpose. The world is continually improving, so be confident that we will solve the problems in front of us when they arrive.

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How to be more optimistic, motivated and creative

If you're struggling to be optimistic lately, your motivation has been fading, or you're focus is all over the place, I want to share something I've built that helped me massively.
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A 30-day cohort to help reset your dopamine levels and beat burnout:

​https://www.onlythebold.tv/dopamine​
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Don't underestimate how effective this is - simple ideas are often the most effective.

UPCOMING PODCAST WITH PJ RICHARDSON

Make sure you're subscribed to the YouTube channel now - there are some great lessons in this one:
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We Talk about AI, the importance of community, how to deal with imposter syndrome and optimise your creativity like an athlete.

What 4o image generation can do:

Capabilities:​
- Character consistency
- Detailed art direction and image editing
- Transparent Layers
- SOTA Text rendering
- infographics, cartoon strips, Memes
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Here are some examples of what people have been doing with GPT4o:

Bennett Waisbren @BennettWaisbren ChatGPT 4o's new image gen is insane. Here's what Severance would look like in 8 famous animation styles 🧵 1/8: Rankin/Bass – That nostalgic stop-motion look like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Cozy and janky. 7:17 AM • Mar 27, 2025 3364 Retweets 40619 Likes Read 1613 replies

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Uncanny Harry AI @Uncanny_Harry 🧵Most people don't understand what a game changer @OpenAI new image model is for AI filmmaking. We have been waiting to be able to move a camera around in 3d space... this is virtually it! Took me three days to get 5 shots a year ago now 1 hour to get every shot. Coverage! 1/4 4:53 AM • Mar 27, 2025 30 Retweets 250 Likes Read 26 replies

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INSPIRATION

It's important to remember what AI can't do and celebrate great work. Let's not forget why we wanted to work in the creative industry. Check out this great work from State:
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​https://motionographer.com/quickie/graphika-manila-2025-open-titles/​

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