Unarguably, technology has been helpful in many ways, easing the burdens that would otherwise be present. Even in a country like Nigeria, we appreciate the evolution of technology, which has made life easier for many individuals. We could not have imagined a better life with technology decades ago, but it’s here now, and we feel grateful for it.
Technology has saved us from standing in long queues at banks and has replaced them with mobile banking. We now have AI tools that can draft a full post in seconds, eliminating the stress of writing or thinking long and hard about what to write about - the ease has become the new normal. But amid the convenience it offers, it has raised a quiet question: what is this costing us?
Growing up in a country like Nigeria, creativity isn’t just optional but a way to survive. If you don’t have, you improvise. One could build and fix engines with almost nothing. A tailor could sketch designs in their head before bringing them to life with the necessary equipment (fabrics and pedal machines). Let’s even come back to school, students learn to think on their feet, for instance, drawing charts with their hands or even writing long essays without going online to Google anything.
Now, the narratives have shifted. Things have changed. It’s so easy for a student to generate an assignment with AI without thinking. A business owner can create a logo in minutes without even speaking to a designer. Architects rely heavily on software templates instead of starting from scratch or raw imagination. I agree this is a fast way and a way to save time, but don't we think we are slowly losing our creativity and thinking?
In my own opinion, the problem isn’t the tools we use because, whether we know it or not, technology has always been part of progress. But the real question lies in how we utilise it. When we rely too much on tools to make things efficient, leaving us with no other way to be creative, we risk weakening the muscle that makes us human.
Take, for instance, our very own content creation. With AI, it’s now easy to produce posts every day, even dumping content that doesn’t make sense, all for the money. This leaves us no chance to create original thoughts or ideas from personal experiences. In a place like Nigeria, where we hear good and rich stories, even inside Napep or during market hustle, even from our dear NYSC experiences, and family dynamics. You would agree with me that there are raw and authentic ideas to draw from them. Yet, we are tempted to skip those processes and go for a quick and polished output.
Creativity is all about thinking through something and not just producing for the sake of it. It’s the process of fighting ideas, refining them and expressing them in a way that carries your voice. This process can’t be fully automated.
After all has been said, these are a few possible ways to stay creative even in the age of making things easier:
Number one, be intentional. AI should be used as a tool to enhance and not to replace. AI should only be used as an assistance where necessary, to structure the content and not one drafted from scratch. Our voice, perspective, and our experiences as Nigerians should be our edge.
Number two, practising originality and never stopping. For instance, I used to write my thoughts before asking AI to help refine while still maintaining my voice and tone. Because of what use is a work without my input, I wouldn’t be proud of myself. This should be our focus, too. When we sketch our ideas before digitalising them, it makes us feel more confident about our work.
Number three, stay connected to real life. Creativity comes alive through observation. There are so many things around us to observe and take note of, like how people behave outside, how markets are structured, how a baby takes his or her first step, etc. In fact, ideas could be generated from the humour in everyday struggle rather than relying on some machines to do that for us. That makes us lazy and lack creativity. The difference here is that our ideas are lived, not generated.
At the end of the day, ease is not the enemy; it’s in being dependent on these tools. Technology is meant to amplify our creativity and not replace it totally. It may never be worth the cost if we eventually lose our ability to think deeply and create meaningful content.
Trust me, Nigeria is a country where I admire our creativity as it’s second to none, and I don’t think we want to trade it for anything else. Let’s do our best to retain our standard in creativity rather than letting some machines do the whole work, all in the name of convenience or ease.
