Alex Newe

Rejection is something I’ve had to digest often as a young creative. At times, it’s a personal blow; other times, it’s just part of the industry cycle. But recently, I’ve been thinking about how rejection feels different now — not because I’m more sensitive, but because the creative industry itself is mutating at a speed that feels nearly impossible to keep up with, like trying to jump into a moving train, but it's the Shanghai Maglev. 

It’s becoming increasingly competitive to carve out space as a creative, whether in advertising, film, television, or paid social. Regardless of role — editor, videographer, strategist, director — the field is tightening. One of the biggest forces reshaping that landscape is artificial intelligence.

AI is not just a tool anymore; it’s a disruptive force, simultaneously fueling economic booms and laying the groundwork for collapse, and all at breakneck speed. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, 23% of jobs are expected to change by 2027 due to AI and automation, with creative roles seeing both opportunity and risk (WEF, 2023). While some positions in marketing, design, and content creation are projected to grow, many mid-level creative jobs are at risk of becoming automated, outsourced, or collapsed into hybrid roles. 

This shift also contributes to the hollowing out of the middle class — especially within creative industries. A 2023 Brookings Institution study noted that middle-income creative professionals are being squeezed out, as companies either invest heavily in top-tier talent or rely on cheaper, AI-powered alternatives (Brookings, 2023). This polarization threatens to reduce access and upward mobility for newer creatives who are still building portfolios or seeking mentorship. This bottlenecking of sorts, while at first glance can seem beneficial to companies relying on cheap mundane labour, the sinister fact is we young creatives rest like sediment at the bottom of the barrel without a chance to ever find our way out. 

There’s a particular frustration that comes with the increasing redundancy in roles where tech meets creativity. The roles we once considered irreplaceable now feel fragile. I often find myself caught between two opposing thoughts: Is AI a tool that can expand our vision, speed up workflows, and democratize opportunity? Or is it a crutch — a shortcut for companies looking to bypass human skill, intuition, and artistry?

This tension isn’t just mine. Artists, writers, and filmmakers are publicly debating the ethics of generative AI, with groups like the Writers Guild of America (WGA) successfully lobbying for protections against AI-authored scripts in their 2023 strike negotiations (WGA, 2023). Even filmmakers like Christopher Nolan have warned of AI’s potential to devalue authentic human storytelling, noting in interviews that “as AI becomes more sophisticated, the line between illusion and intention becomes harder to track” (Nolan, 2023).

I don’t have a concrete answer yet, and maybe I never will. But what I do know is this: literacy in AI and emerging technologies is no longer optional. If I want to survive this creative revolution, I need to understand it deeply — even if I continue to question it morally and artistically.

Rejection now feels less like a door closed and more like a warning sign — a signal that the industry is shifting faster than I am. It’s daunting, yes. But it’s also a challenge to adapt without losing what makes me human, creative, and sincere in my work.

References
1. Brookings Institution. (2023). Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work. https://www.brookings.edu/research/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-work/


2. Nolan, C. (2023). Interview in WIRED Magazine. https://www.wired.com/story/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-artificial-intelligence/


3. World Economic Forum. (2023). The Future of Jobs Report 2023. https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/


Writers Guild of America. (2023). WGA Strike Resolution and AI Protections. Reported by The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/business/media/hollywood-writers-strike-deal.html