AI And The Creative Life: Can They Synch For Artists and Leaders?
Sally Mann, (on stage left) at Chicago Humanities Festival with Laura Letinsky.
“You really want to have a reason why you make art,” declares Sally Mann, who was speaking at the University of Chicago’s Ida Noyes Hall, a space built in 1916 as the women’s clubhouse and gymnasium.
This physical storied past was surrounding hundreds in the audience at the Chicago Humanities Festival, eager to hear from Mann, named America’s Best Photographer by Time magazine in 2001, a Guggenheim fellow, and author of the new book, Art Work: On The Creative Life.
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“Good art is visceral and it’s in my gut. Your gut will tell you what art is good,” says Mann, 74, who has been working in photography since she was 17 years old.
““Good art is visceral and it’s in my gut,” says Sally Mann, #photography #author @ChiHumanities @UChicago”
The event seemed a collision of the past, present and future of the notion of creativity in work and life. Mann, in conversation with Laura Letinsky, University of Chicago professor of visual arts and a celebrated photographer, honors the visceral awareness of making art and the difficult, repetitive process of achieving a memorable work.
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All of this was happening at an historic university founded in 1890 and inside a building that hosted the 1967 wedding of John D. Rockefeller IV and Sharon Percy Rockefeller. It was history meeting the future in the present.
“Knowing when to stop is just as important as it is to know when to push through,” says Mann, whose internationally acclaimed, award-winning 2016 book, Hold Still: A Memoir With Photographs, shined light on her controversial practice of photographing her three children.
Read more in Take The Lead on women art leaders
“I have a filament that tingles when I get near a good picture; it is a form of ecstasy,” Mann says. “My art deals with difficult subjects. I was always pushing art that can make you think and challenge your expectations.”
Thinking creatively as an artist is inherently beneficial for leaders, says Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead.
“In my own leadership experience and now as someone who trains and consults with leaders, I observe that those who engage in any of the arts, whether as an active participant or a fan, benefit greatly from it.” She adds, “It lets you see differently, think differently, and do differently. Art shakes out the mental cobwebs so you can innovate and solve complex problems. It builds empathy and enables you to coalesce others around a vision.”
“I observe that those who engage in any of the arts, whether as an active participant or a fan, benefit greatly from it.” Gloria Feldt, cofounder, pres @takeleadwomen #artists #leadership #creativity ”
Yet, today’s cultural climate for artists and artwork is divisive and frightening, Mann says.
Read more on art and leadership in Take The Lead
“I think right now we have twisted the Orwellian Gauge past 11. “ Referring to removal of art from museums and restrictions on what art is approved, she says, “This is what is taking place now—taking from view elements of history and art from Smithsonian museums.”
It diminishes the freedom of creativity if the identities and work of artists are filtered and forbidden.
Formerly working strictly in black and white photographs, Mann, who is based in Appalachia, says she is working in color with a camera that has a lens from the 1940s. The advent of digital cameras has ushered in a new level of sophistication on creating photography.
Read more on Take The Lead on women leaders in the art world
But the combination of art and AI is complicated, she says. “You can’t control the context with AI,” she says.
The intersection of creativity and AI is an international concern, not just for artists, but for businesses, leaders, administrators and academics.
“The intersection of creativity and AI is an international concern, not just for artists, but for businesses, leaders, administrators and academics. @takeleadwomen #AI #leadership #creativity ”
“AI is forcing us to fundamentally rethink this question of what makes you creative, and this answer has profound implications for how we work, how we innovate, and how we build companies,” Jacqueline N. Lane, Harvard Business School professor who leads Harvard’s Laboratory for Innovation Science, Harvard Crimson reports.
AI can augment and enhance human creativity, but not replace it, she says.
Read more in Take The Lead on AI
“The final judgment must stay human, and we can’t let those narratives, or those confidence sounding narratives, really replace our critical thinking,” Lane says.
“The final judgment must stay human, and we can’t let those narratives, or those confidence sounding narratives, really replace our critical thinking,” says Jacqueline N. Lane, @HarvardHBS #creativity #AI #Leadership ”
The interaction with AI is across generations and geographies and is met with differing results and enthusiasm.
The Future Report, a new European study of more than 7,000 teens in seven countries, EWeek reports, “paints a portrait of a generation treating AI as ‘one of humanity’s greatest tools for self-improvement’ — one that’s reshaping how they learn and create.”
The study finds, that of those surveyed, “40% use AI daily or almost daily, and 81% say it has improved at least one area of their learning or creativity.”
Read more in Take The Lead on AI and leadership
Considering the global context and impact of AI intersection with work and creativity, a new Pew Research Center’s survey shows, “The United States stands out among 25 countries for its skepticism, even as AI continues to reshape industries and become part of everyday life.”
““The United States stands out among 25 countries for its skepticism, even as AI continues to reshape industries and become part of everyday life.” @PewResearch #AI #creativity @takeleadwomen ”
According to Pew, in America, “A median of 34% of adults say they are more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI, while 42% are equally concerned and excited. A median of 16% are more excited than concerned.”
Similarly, “Respondents in Italy, Australia, Brazil, and Greece share similar levels of concern, while people in South Korea and India showed more optimism about AI’s potential benefits.” Pew reports.
Learn more in Take The Lead on leading with AI successfully
While some refer to the projects and work involving AI, as “AI slop,” it’s impact is undeniable.
According to Futurism, a new report, “published by the SEO firm Graphite, analyzed a random sample of 65,000 English-language articles published between January 2020 and May 2025," more than half of the content written was considered AI-generated. That content was text and images, multimedia and more.
“A random sample of 65,000 English-language articles published between January 2020 and May 2025 shows more than half of the content written was considered AI-generated. @futurism #AI #content ”
The mixed reactions to the use of AI and the embrace or fear of its impact is connected to the pragmatic possibilities of job loss. A Pew study earlier this year found 50% of U.S. workers anticipate significant job losses caused by AI by 2045.
In their new book, Creativity in the Age of AI: Toolkits for the Modern Mind, Wharton School marketing professor Jerry Wind, with Mukul Pandya, and Deborah Yao write that organizations and businesses stand to gain from the use of AI as it enhances creativity and innovation.
Read more in Take The Lead on women and AI
Knowledge at Wharton reports the authors assert, “Organizations using systematic creativity approaches report 25% to 40% faster innovation cycles.” Additionally, “Companies applying trend analysis techniques identify market opportunities 18 months ahead of competitors. Businesses that integrate AI-enhanced creativity see productivity gains.”
Still, the reluctance is there for many, particularly in the U.S. The authors write, “AI doesn’t replace human creativity — it amplifies it exponentially. Learn to use ChatGPT for rapid prototyping, Claude for strategic analysis, or emerging AI tools for market research, competitive intelligence, and scenario planning. Transform hours of brainstorming into minutes of AI-enhanced ideation.”
At the recent Take The Lead Power Up Conference, Stacey Engle, CEO of Twin Protocol, founder of Authority Lab, and Take The Lead board member, said, “The plan for data is what women will have the opportunity for in AI. Hopefully AI can be amplified just as much for good.”
Feldt agrees. “Despite the potential for negative consequences, AI systems like ChatGPT can also serve as powerful tools to advance women’s leadership. By leveraging AI to analyze data, organizations can identify and address gender disparities in various aspects of their operations, such as hiring, promotions, and compensation.”
Read more from Gloria Feldt on leading with AI
AI can enhance productivity, creativity and inclusion. Art is only one arena where human oversight is critical.
Before she ended her talk at University of Chicago to a standing ovation, Mann said, “Art is there to make you think. Any work of art that is beautiful and makes your gut sing is a great piece of art.”
