How I Faced the ‘Scary New Thing’ and Turned It Into an Ally
When generative AI made a break-through a couple of years ago, everyone got upset. Me too. A powerful new thing.
Just 2–3 years earlier, we used to say art would be the last thing AI could touch.
The moment we saw the first really good images from Midjourney and DALL-E was shocking and paralyzing.
A zillion questions in my head.
One fear: What about us? 🙁
To be completely honest — I wasn’t really scared.
I believed in my power to adapt, as a human being.
I knew I’d figure something out.
But let’s go back in time. (like The Terminator, you get it?)
But in May 2024, something happened.
A client asked me to make really large-format renders (5.25m x 4.25m), not for a billboard but for close-up viewers. They were very detailed, with a lot of people in the images.
Of course, I accepted — because nothing is impossible. As a human being, I can figure everything out.
I didn’t know what to do, but I started thinking — fast. Time was running out.
And that was THE moment.
That was the moment when Terminator became a good guy. A best friend. A protector. Someone who helps you conquer the enemy. Helps you survive.
That was the moment I completely let my guard down — and shook hands with the robot.
I used AI in my post-production process, and it turned out great.
The client was very happy with the result — me too. Since that moment, I’ve been using AI in my post-production workflow regularly.
What 21-Year-Old Me Learned from a Comedy Movie
Let’s go back to 2013 for a moment.
I was 21 back then (and that’s the real scary part!).
I watched a movie called The Internship.
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, two salesmen, lost their jobs because they didn’t keep up with new technologies. Then they decided to try for an internship at Google.
The movie was fun, nothing special, but one sentence cut deep into my (young and fresh) mind — and stayed there, probably for life.
When they first arrived at Google HQ, a self-driving vehicle passed by (remember, it’s 2013 and that was completely new).
Nick (Owen Wilson) got scared when he saw a vehicle without a driver passing them, but Billy (Vince Vaughn) calmed him down with THE sentence:
“It’s scary because it’s new.“
Oh man, that hit me. It still does. Just think about all the “new” things in history:
First industrial machines. First trains. First motor vehicles. First computers. First airplanes. First typewriters. First cameras. First phones with cameras. First phones with cameras that rocked. First TVs. First this. First that. First e-books. First e-commerce. First 3D software. First generative AI. First electric dogs. First AI humans.
Okay, the last two are scary — but only because they’re new.
LIGHT & MAGIC and Star Wars
In 2022, Disney+ released LIGHT & MAGIC, a TV mini-series.
Man, you’ve got to see this. Evolution in real time.
You can see how 3D slowly took over. They were scared of 3D at first.
But 3D, as you surely know, brought us amazing things.
It was tough for some of them in the beginning — they had to adapt. But guess what: we have to adapt all the time. We have to learn constantly if we want to stay relevant.
If you’re not willing to learn — that’s okay. But that’s a sad path. When you stop learning, you start waiting to die.
New knowledge is my core motivation.
Evolution is a never-ending process — both collective and personal.
Be curious. Learn new things. Then you don’t need to worry.
AI Didn’t Kill Jobs — It Shifted Them
Since May 2024 — exactly one year — my workflow includes a new segment: AI. That’s now the standard. A new basic. Renders are much better with AI, and clients are already used to it.
There are even people specializing in this type of work. The industry is growing. Maybe some jobs have disappeared, but it’s not the end of the world. Those people just need to learn new skills — and they’re back in the game, stronger than ever.
If you think your unique value lies in manual work that no one else can learn — you’re already losing the game.
Your uniqueness should absolutely be your superpower — but not the skill itself. Your superpower should be your creativity, your ideas, your experience, your adaptability, your ability to learn — to be the king of the jungle, no matter how the jungle changes.
Anyone can learn a skill and keep it for life. That’s simple. A one-time effort.
But not everyone has that inner drive. To adapt. To learn. To lead. To be the king.
New tool
You can be scared of AI. You can be its enemy. You can cry over your fate.
Or — you can use it as your new advantage.
In the end, someone must give it input. Even if it creates art on its own — it’s still just a tool.
We love art because it’s personal. Remember: art is a piece of the artist’s mind.
We don’t connect with art because it’s flawless — we connect because it’s human. Imperfect. Honest.
AI can help us with manual tasks, skip boring parts, and elevate our work to the next level.
I don’t know what technologies are waiting around the corner. But I do know many will arrive in our lifetime.
And I know one thing for sure:
No matter what happens — I’ll still be the king of the jungle.
P.S. At some point, I’ll share my workflow — how I use AI in my art.
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Got questions? I’d love to hear from you: stefan@vizzzia.com