The rapid growth of AI-powered tools has enabled users to create posters, videos, animations, music, photographs and other digital content within minutes, reducing the need for professional services
Dar es Salaam. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is taking over some creative tasks, but professionals remain confident that the technology will not completely replace their expertise, arguing that human creativity and technical skills will continue to determine the quality and originality of content.
The rapid growth of AI-powered tools has enabled users to create posters, videos, animations, music, photographs and other digital content within minutes, reducing the need for professional services in some areas.
The development has raised concerns among designers, editors, photographers and other creatives, with some reporting a decline in orders as clients increasingly turn to AI tools to produce basic content themselves.
However, professionals interviewed by The Citizen said the disruption was forcing the creative industry to adapt rather than signalling the end of creative careers.
Graphic designer Katty Shabani said he had experienced a decline in orders as some clients opted to use AI tools to produce designs on their own.
“Regarding taking jobs, it is true that orders have decreased because people can now create the designs they want on their own. But even someone using AI needs expertise in writing prompts to produce something of good quality,” he said.
Mr Shabani said the development had created a need for creatives to acquire new skills, particularly the ability to use AI tools alongside their existing expertise.
He said designers who learned to use the technology effectively could remain competitive by producing quality work within a shorter period while applying their professional judgement.
“What people want to see now is the output. If graphic designers learn these skills early, it will help them attract new clients,” he said.
For Mr Shabani, failure to adapt could pose a greater threat to creative professionals than the technology itself.
“If you decide not to learn, AI will eventually replace you because your competitors will be producing better and higher-quality work in a shorter time,” he said.
The impact is also being felt in photography, where AI-powered editing tools are increasingly handling routine tasks that previously required professional photo editors.
Photo retoucher Samwel Jackson said AI was already affecting entry-level editing work, although he did not expect it to completely eliminate high-end professional retouching. “AI is rapidly eliminating entry-level and routine editing tasks, but it is unlikely to completely eliminate high-end professional photo retouching,” he said.
Mr Jackson said professional creative work involved qualities that could not easily be replicated by automated tools, including emotional intelligence, artistic intention and an understanding of a client's brand identity.
“Some content will still require emotional intelligence, unique artistic intent or brand identity,” he said.
He also warned that the widespread use of similar AI tools could result in creative content becoming less distinctive, particularly when different creators rely on similar prompts and platforms.
“Sometimes we see many advertisements looking very similar, which makes it easy to tell that AI was involved. With human creativity, the work can be differentiated from others,” he said.
He said this could give professional creatives an advantage as companies sought original content capable of distinguishing their brands in an increasingly competitive digital market.
Technology expert Dominick Dismas also dismissed the possibility of AI completely replacing creative professionals, arguing that businesses would continue to require human involvement in developing, reviewing and refining content.
“AI cannot kill the industry completely because brands still need human editing,” he said.
Mr Dismas, however, warned that increased use of AI could create legal and commercial challenges, particularly where generated content closely resembles existing work.
“There are legal issues that AI can bring because content can become too similar, which can cause problems in the market,” he said.
He said creatives should therefore focus on learning how to incorporate AI into their work rather than resisting the technology.
“These generative AI tools are there to make things easier. People should move with the technology and look at how they can use it to improve their work,” he said.
On the other hand, content creator Gladness Mungo said generative AI had helped her produce promotional content, making it easier to create advertisements for her work.
“I have been using AI to create some of my advertisements and the videos turn out well,” she said.
Ms Mungo added that the growing use of the technology had also prompted some video directors to learn how to incorporate AI into their work in order to remain competitive and improve the quality of their productions.
