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Digitalisation is changing everything, and the creative industry is no exception. Historically, art was mostly accessible to the elite: paintings were owned by the wealthy, religious institutions, or the monarchy, and music performances were special events for the privileged. Over the last two centuries, this began to change, but with digitalisation, the pace of change has accelerated dramatically.
Today’s widespread creativity isn’t inherently bad. People have always created art, even if much of it was undocumented or has perished- folk songs, crafts, objects people created for daily use. However, the global reach, speed, and cheap manufacturing enabled by technology are changing how art is made and shared, often pushing towards uniformity. Today, creating art is more accessible than ever. Anyone can be a creator thanks to digital tools and platforms. However, this has led to an oversaturated market where quality sometimes waters down into generic forms.
Consuming art used to be an event – going to a gallery, attending a performance, or visiting an architectural marvel was special. Scarcity made art valuable. Art surrounds us online and in everyday life, mixed with mundane content and advertisements, making it harder to appreciate fully. We also see more AI-generated art with its recognisable style that quietly seeps into human-made art, influencing how non-AI creators work and further blending lines.
Looking at the past and present, how might art consumption change? We are still humans, and we are still creative, but the environment around creativity is shifting. Oversaturation might trigger a swing back, where exclusive experiences like live theatre, concerts, or art museum performances become more prized because the audience can get the feeling of experiencing something that isn’t affected by digital filters. Physical art that can be touched and experienced in real life, such as sculptures in city spaces or handcrafted ceramics and woodwork, may also rise in value because they resist mass replication.
Another aspect that might gain importance is the value of flaws and raw emotions in art. AI and digital tools often produce perfection, flawless but predictable. I had an opportunity to interview a playwright who had experimented with writing a play with AI in real time, getting prompts from the public and improvising actors on the stage. One of the biggest lessons of this experimental play was “perfect is boring.” People connect with art that feels human, unpredictable, and emotionally authentic. We are not yet where AI could replicate human emotions like betrayal, deceptiveness, jealousy or devotion. Flawed, emotional art may become more valued as a counterbalance to widespread digital perfection that always complies with the moral compass and avoids controversy.
A third way might emerge between the growing presence of AI-driven, nearly perfect art and the traditional, hands-on creative processes. Rather than one replacing the other, these different forms of creativity could coexist, each serving different purposes and audiences. AI opens new possibilities and styles, while older, more manual methods continue to preserve their unique value and authenticity. AI-driven creation isn’t just about producing art for enjoyment – it can also serve practical and urgent purposes. Take digital fashion, for example: beyond designing attractive clothes, it offers solutions to reduce textile waste and environmental impact. This shows how technology can expand creativity into new, meaningful directions beyond traditional art forms.
Who knows where the creative industry will head next? While writing this article, I got a repeated thought that is probably common for people from small countries like Estonia. There is a risk of losing cultural uniqueness and folklore as globalisation and technology push toward uniformity. Different eras and cultures have distinct artistic signatures that enrich humanity’s heritage. Preserving these through valuing diverse, authentic creative expressions matters. One thing worth remembering is that embracing imperfection and authenticity, not chasing perfection, may be key to keeping art meaningful and genuine to our shared humanity and unique backgrounds.
