Why AI Art Still Needs the Human Eye

“Tools Evolve, the Eye Doesn’t” – Why AI Art Still Needs Artists

The surge of AI in art and video has left many creatives questioning their place. A common worry: if AI can generate art, what role do human artists play? Freepik CEO Joaquin Cuenca Abela offers a clear perspective, admitting the AI industry’s role in this upheaval. “We trained models on everything under the sun,” he says. “The outcome was unknown. But it worked. And now we have to rebuild trust.”

Rebuilding trust means addressing creators’ concerns about their work being scraped, copied, or sidelined. Joaquin suggests that transparency and collaboration are key. More importantly, he emphasizes what only humans bring to the table: the ability to choose the stories worth telling.

AI Can Assist, But It Doesn’t Replace Creative Judgment

Artists may resist AI, but it’s worth questioning why. The reality is AI can speed up tasks, but it can’t replace creativity. Adobe’s bold stance is that AI tools should benefit creativity, not threaten it. Joaquin offers reassurance: “AI can help you tell stories. But it won’t tell you what story to tell.” That insight comes from awareness of the world and what resonates with people — a distinctly human skill.

“Tools evolve,” Joaquin says. “The eye doesn’t.” This means that while AI changes how tools work, the artist’s vision remains essential.

From Threat to Opportunity: Freepik’s AI Pivot

At Freepik’s Upscale Conference, generative AI initially felt like a threat to the stock image business. Joaquin admits, “It looked like it was going to destroy us.” Instead of resisting, Freepik embraced AI, integrating Stable Diffusion to support users in exploring new creative possibilities.

This pivot was more than technical—it was cultural. The goal shifted to empowering creatives with AI tools that expand their vision rather than replace it. This approach attracted new users beyond freelancers, including filmmakers, photographers, and architects. Features like Magnific AI for photo retouching brought new professionals to the platform who hadn’t found value there before.

AI Art Makes Creativity More Accessible

Generative AI is changing not just speed, but what’s possible. Joaquin compares AI’s impact to the invention of photography. When cameras appeared, critics claimed they would kill painting. Instead, painting changed focus. Similarly, AI frees creators from the limits of traditional tools and budgets, enabling visually compelling work without demanding every detail be modeled.

Perhaps the biggest shift is who can create. AI lowers the cost barrier for quality visuals. Joaquin highlights this trend: “Stock images used to cost $500; then Shutterstock brought it to $10, and we brought it even lower.” Now, AI enables small businesses and individuals to produce content that was once out of reach.

• Create targeted YouTube ads for a few hundred viewers.
• Small business owners can generate social media posts quickly.
• Filmmakers and photographers gain new tools for storytelling.

For example, a café owner spending hours designing posts could now use AI with simple inputs like event context or brand values to automate content creation.

New Interaction Models and Collaborative Workflows

AI also changes how creatives use design tools. Traditional design often requires expensive hardware and complex software. Generative AI introduces conversational interfaces: describe what you want, iterate quickly, and get results. This doesn’t eliminate expertise but frees artists to focus on storytelling and emotion.

As AI image generation becomes widely available and free, Joaquin sees the future in platforms that support collaboration and iteration. Freepik aims at professional users rather than casual ones, building features around teamwork, customization, and 3D asset creation.

“We launch features, see if people use them, and if they don’t, we kill them,” Joaquin explains. It’s a constant focus on serving creators’ real needs.

Conclusion

AI tools will keep evolving, but the artist’s eye and insight remain irreplaceable. The future lies in combining AI’s efficiency with human creativity and meaning. For creatives looking to explore AI-powered tools and stay ahead, learning how to integrate these into your workflow is crucial.

To explore practical AI courses and tools that support creatives, visit Complete AI Training.