Interview with Chad Nelson, OpenAI Representative, Amid Backlash Over "AI Mess" Results, Emphasizes "Requires Skill to Rise Above the Commotion"
The clamor over AI-crafted art and creativity escalates, with a heated mix of praise, protests, and questions popping up everywhere, from visual tools like Sora and DALL·E to the rise of critiques labeling AI-created art as 'slop'. I managed to catch up with Chad Nelson, Creative Director at OpenAI, at the recent Upscale Conference in San Francisco to discuss whether AI has the chops to create art, whether genuine creativity still requires a human touch, and what the next Spielberg might morph into in a world where anybody can conjure up a sci-fi epic in seconds... or can they?
Chad posits that AI will indeed be capable of generating and creating anything, from video games with vibe codes to animated films, but the creation of a truly groundbreaking film, game, or artwork will be a challenge because millions of AI-generated masterpieces are bound to flood the screens.
The AI Art Hurricane Ahead
AI democratizes creativity, but Chad voices concerns about the upcoming storm of unrestricted content production. With the new Spielberg possibly buried under a wave of Ghibli memes and endless cat portraits, finding an audience becomes one of the most significant challenges.
"Discovering talents and getting eyes on them is going to be one hell of a ride," Chad says. "We have word of mouth, algorithms, maybe social media helps a bit, but with the sheer deluge of content pouring in, even within a specific niche, how do you remain visible?"
The cold, hard truth, Chad points out, is that even outstanding content may vanish without a fighting chance unless someone coughs up the dough to promote it. "If there's one thing Hollywood and music labels know well, it's drowning the planet in promotion. Everyone knows when the next Mission: Impossible will drop, regardless of whether they step foot in the theater or not."
AI is often glorified as the great equalizer, but Chad isn't jumping on the bandwagon quite yet, and the pitch to break down barriers feels a tad empty. But looking deeper, it signifies that a level of craftsmanship and artistry will be essential to ensure AI-generated content has value.
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"It requires a lot of effort to make a 90-minute film with genuine emotional impact," Chad states. "It's not a one-person job – it involves wardrobe, production design, music, editing, direction, cinematography. There are very few people who are brilliant across all these fields."
Instead, Chad anticipates AI working as a collaborative tool, empowering a tidal wave of indie-style, simple, focused stories. Epic action scenes? Still tough nuts to crack. "Even now, people complain that action scenes feel hollow. AI or not, creating one with genuine dramatic weight remains an art."
I quiz Chad on the term 'AI slop', often denigrated as shoddy or uninspired AI content, and he's not shy about acknowledging the inequity of overproduction.
"It boils down to curation," he explains. "I can ask for 1,000 variations of a woman in a 1950s dress playing chess, but it takes a creative eye to recognize the unique composition among them."
Long story short, generating visuals and videos is a cakewalk, but distinguishing quality requires a sensitive, intelligent approach. That, Chad argues, is the future of creativity – using AI as a collaborator, not a replacement.
"The one significant thing about ChatGPT is that it can provide an answer. The one not-so-significant thing? It doesn't know if that answer is correct," he jokes.
Even as AI models sharpen their skills, Chad believes standing out will become harder, not easier. "Anyone can make something that looks decent. But cutting through the noise and making something exceptional? That requires talent."
From Remix Artists to the Rise of New Genres
Nelson isn't pretending AI has the ability to create raw innovation. Instead, he sees AI as 'remix artists', adept at creating unique combinations of imaginary scenarios.
"There are very few humans who can truly claim to be original innovators. We all see the same visual cues, wake up in the same world. So creating something truly original is becoming more of a question," he says.
But could AI ever master genuine originality? Nelson's unsure, but he's curious about the potential.
"What if we taught it how to use a charcoal stick or a wooden brush without offering any data on the real world? Would it produce something meaningful, or simply abstract creations? That would be quite intriguing to witness."
For Whom Does AI Art Cater?
The last comment sheds light on OpenAI's world, where the excitement around AI doesn't lie solely in its capabilities but also in the possibilities it presents. We often focus on a creative world divided between established artists and casual creators.
"Are we building it for Spielberg, or for my mom who just wants to create something fun? Or are we trying to do both?"
For OpenAI, it seems to be everyone. But the significant breakthroughs, Chad believes, will come from third-party developers building tailored tools for artists, filmmakers, and creators across various fields.
Ultimately, Chad voices his concerns about AI replacing artists. He's more concerned about augmenting them and keeping the soul in creative work. It's often easy to view the AI art debate as pro and con, but it's more complex than that.
"I've heard people say that a third of their team is all-in on AI, a third is resisting with pitchforks, and a third are figuring it out," explains Chad. "I can't fight the die-hard resisters, but I can show the middle what's possible – and what's not."
Creativity, in Chad's eyes, isn't about using the newest tool or the latest AI model. It's about knowing what to say, the craft to analyze what works and why – and having the taste, training, and talent to express it effectively, to self-edit, and discover originality and artistic value in the outcome.
"AI offers you a thousand options," ponders Chad. "But only you know which one is worth choosing."
- Chad Nelson, Creative Director at OpenAI, believes AI will be able to generate various forms of art and entertainment, such as video games, animated films, and even sci-fi epics.
- However, creating a truly groundbreaking piece of art or entertainment will remain challenging due to the influx of AI-generated content.
- Finding an audience for new talent and original content is expected to become increasingly difficult in the era of AI-driven creativity.
- Chad Nelson highlights the importance of craftsmanship and artistry in ensuring AI-generated content has value, stating that creating a 90-minute film with emotional impact is a multi-faceted endeavor involving wardrobe, production design, music, editing, direction, cinematography, among other aspects.
- Chad Nelson anticipates AI acting as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for human creators, enabling an influx of indie-style, focused stories.
- The creation of epic action scenes remains difficult for AI, as creating scenes with genuine dramatic weight is an art.
- Chad Nelson argues that AI can provide answers but lacks the ability to determine if those answers are correct, likening it to a remix artist capable of creating unique combinations of imaginary scenarios but not producing raw innovation.
- AI caters to a wide range of creators, from established artists to casual creators, and breakthroughs are expected to come from third-party developers building tailored tools for artists, filmmakers, designers, and creators in various fields.
