Authentic (adjective): of undisputed origin; genuine.
Authenticity is one of the most valuable sources of quality and trust amongst people. Authenticity, integrity, and genuinity all describe the same qualities that make something valuable and unique. In a world of craft, the meaning behind something is more important than the quality of it itself.
At USC, I'm surrounded by artists, musicians, and designers constantly, all of which have shared similar fears around AI. Will AI commoditize creativity? How will anything be unique and valuable when mediums are saturated at scale? What good is my unique talent and skills if AI can do it faster, cheaper, and better?
Let's say AGI arrives. Economically-valuable work is automated, creative work can now be conjured with just a few words, and the quality of generated output exceeds human capability at a fraction of the cost. It will have all but one thing: authenticity.
There is no authenticity behind AI-generated work. There is no soul, no struggle, and certainly no scarcity. Humans value scarcity. Something that is hard to get often amplifies its value. Generative AI is designed to remove scarcity of intelligence, skill, and output.
I don't believe that AI will commoditize everything, because humans won't accept it. We will continue to value authenticity and struggle, uplifting those who pour their heart and soul into their works. Timeless pieces have been admired over generations not because of its objective quality, but because of its narrative.
And I believe humans can appreciate authenticity from anything or anyone. It doesn't matter if an art piece is created by a human or robot, as long as there is an authentic narrative behind it. Valuable originality often comes from experiences that are not easy to have, thus making it scarce and unique. Whether those experiences are lived and painted through a human, or simulated and crafted by an AI, the appreciation of both lies in authenticity.