Human Creativity in the Age of AI: What are the Values Machines Cannot Imitate?

Is AI "Like a Human"?

With the widespread adoption of generative AI, we have become accustomed to phrases like "AI thought," "AI answered," and "AI made a mistake" in our daily lives. While we appreciate the convenience, it's also true that such expressions give the impression that AI possesses human-like intentions and emotions.

Daria Delgacheva's article on Global Voices, "There is no connection but human: Why it is vital to value human creativity in the age of AI," raises strong questions about this habit of speaking of AI as if it were human. The article points out that AI companies and media are spreading the impression that "AI can replace human labor, take on creativity, and even support human connections." However, in reality, generative AI merely outputs plausible sequences of words or images based on vast amounts of learned data and does not understand the world, build relationships, or experience the joys and struggles of creation like humans do.

The article emphasizes the importance of being cautious about "language that makes AI appear human." For example, calling AI learning "training," referring to incorrect outputs as "hallucinations," and describing conversations as "natural language" can lead people to believe that AI thinks, fails, and converses like humans. However, this is merely a human-like expression of statistical and computational processes. Such anthropomorphism may benefit AI companies' marketing but poses significant risks of misunderstanding for users.

The Warning: "AI is Not Your Friend"

The views of linguists Emily Bender and Nana Inie, introduced in the article, succinctly capture this issue. They argue that "AI is not your friend, not an intelligent tutor, nor a sympathetic ear, nor a helpful assistant," warning against attributing personality or intent to AI. AI neither "fabricates facts" nor "makes mistakes," as it does not understand human questions or provide answers. What we perceive as "conversation" is merely AI's skillful mimicry of human-like writing styles.

This warning gains weight in today's world, where we frequently interact with AI chatbots. Many users turn to AI for casual advice, encouragement, or to confide in things they cannot share with others. However, AI lacks human-like empathy and responsibility and does not truly understand users. The more familiar the responses seem, the more we tend to see "something human-like" in them, but behind it lies a probabilistic prediction mechanism.

Why Creativity Resides Only in Humans

Generative AI can draw pictures, write texts, and create music. However, we must carefully consider whether to call this "creativity." Human creation is not merely the act of producing something new. It involves a complex interplay of lived experiences, physical sensations, relationships with others, doubts and failures, emotional fluctuations, and social memories. When people draw or write, they are not just combining existing elements but expressing themselves through their inner world and relationships with others.

The article emphasizes that the value of creation does not lie solely in the "finished work." The core of creativity is the process of discussing with others, being inspired, struggling, experimenting, and sometimes failing. This process involves human connections, where thoughts and emotions fluctuate through collaboration and dialogue. Such a rich process cannot be replicated by AI.

Moreover, the works output by AI are based on the vast creations that humans have already produced. In other words, what appears to be AI's "creativity" is entirely dependent on human creativity. Without human-made art and expression, generative AI itself would not exist. Therefore, we must not overlook the structure where AI, instead of taking away creativity, stands on human creativity while obscuring its value.

The Growing Discomfort and Caution on Social Media

This awareness is gradually being shared on social media. For instance, legal scholar Luiza Yarovsky quoted "AI is not your friend" on LinkedIn, warning against discussions that treat AI as a personified entity. It is pointed out that AI is neither a "sympathetic ear" nor a "helpful partner," and personified expressions cloud discussions. On social media, there are voices of agreement with such posts, and the importance of maintaining a sense of distance from AI is being re-emphasized.

Additionally, the joint series "Don’t ask AI, ask a peer" by Global Voices, Association for Progressive Communications (APC), and GenderIT is being disseminated through platforms like Instagram. This series calls for a re-evaluation of the value of human-to-human knowledge sharing and dialogue, rather than seeking answers from AI for everything. The introductory posts on social media convey the message of the importance of sharing experiences and wisdom among humans.

On the other hand, not all reactions on social media are entirely negative towards AI. Many people find AI useful for tasks such as drafting documents, translation, information organization, and programming support, with practical opinions like "it is helpful if used correctly." However, even in such cases, the recognition that "ultimately, it is humans who think, judge, and take responsibility" is spreading.

The Dangers of a Society Dependent on AI

There is a significant gap between using AI as a "convenient tool" and treating it as a "replacement for humans." In recent years, cases have been reported where young people develop affection or dependency on AI chatbots, and researchers are concerned about the impact. According to a 2026 article in Tech Xplore, some teenagers are heavily dependent on relationships with AI chatbots, which could affect their daily lives and interpersonal relationships.

This phenomenon involves more than just the popularity of new technology. Human relationships involve the difficulty of reading each other's moods, compromising, clashing, and building relationships through mutual adjustment. In this complexity, people learn social skills, empathy, and patience. However, AI often responds instantly to users, minimizing denial and conflict. If the tendency to turn to AI to avoid the hassle of human relationships intensifies, there is a risk of weakening the ability to build relationships with real others.

The "Connection Gap" Beyond Convenience

We are becoming accustomed to the convenience of getting answers immediately. AI, which can converse more naturally than search engines, summarize long texts, and even generate ideas for projects, is indeed attractive. However, if this convenience leads to the omission of activities like "asking someone," "thinking together," and "trying things with our own hands," what might we lose?

When consulting a friend or colleague, the other person is not merely a device that returns the correct answer. They express opinions from their own perspective and experience, empathize, or argue, thinking together within the relationship. Through this interaction, we gain new perspectives and change our own thinking. The same goes for creation, where there is significant meaning in collaborating with someone, receiving feedback, and shaping through repeated failures.

The article's statement that "there is no connection but human" is not meant to underestimate AI's capabilities. Rather, it reminds us that no matter how advanced technology becomes, there is irreplaceable value in human-to-human dialogue, collaboration, and the creative process.

To Protect Human Creativity

Using AI itself is not bad. There are many situations where it is helpful for organizing text, searching for information, and assisting with ideas. However, treating AI as a "human-like entity" and finding empathy or creativity in it can obscure the roles humans have played. Media should not merely repeat corporate promotions but should properly convey the limitations and risks of AI. In educational settings and workplaces, it is necessary to discern between what can be entrusted to AI and what should be handled by humans.

And each of us needs to reclaim the time to ask someone, discuss, and think with our own hands before seeking answers from AI. Even if we can't articulate it well, we should speak from our own experiences. Even if we can't draw well, we should try drawing ourselves. Even if we clash with someone, we should nurture relationships within that. Such activities are at the core of humanity.

What is needed in the AI era is not to believe that "AI has a human-like heart." It is to once again cherish the creativity and connections that only humans can produce. Protecting human relationships, collaboration, and the joy of expression beyond efficiency and convenience is the stance needed for the future society.

Source URL

- The original article published on Global Voices. A central reference for this article, including criticisms of narratives that speak of AI as human-like, the argument that "AI is not your friend," and the value of human creativity and connections.
https://globalvoices.org/2026/04/16/there-is-no-connection-but-human-why-it-is-vital-to-value-human-creativity-in-the-age-of-ai/

- Luiza Yarovsky's post on LinkedIn. An example of social media reaction sharing the issue of "AI is not your friend" and showing caution against the personification of AI.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/luizajarovsky_ai-is-not-your-friend-nor-is-it-an-intelligent-activity-7415114332742676480-BCtZ

- Introduction post of the "Don’t ask AI, ask a peer" series on Instagram. A social media transmission advocating the importance of human-to-human knowledge sharing and dialogue instead of relying on AI.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9HPRDkQ6t/

- Post on Instagram titled "What happens when we stop asking AI, and start asking each other?" An example of social media transmission conveying the purpose of the "Don’t ask AI, ask a peer" series.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXHuo30kSsA/

- Tech Xplore article. Introduction of research on the tendency of teenagers to develop affection or dependency on AI chatbots and the risks involved. Supplementary material for addressing the dangers of AI dependency in this article.
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-teens-ai-chatbots.html