SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) – Artificial intelligence can generate images and designs in seconds, but some local business owners and creatives say the speed comes with trade-offs.
Amber Foster, owner of Pink Place, said her business was built on a creative identity — from its design and drinks to its menu.
“I feel like our whole premise of our business to start with, it was kind of a creative type business,” Foster said.
She said adopting AI-generated content could undermine what sets her apart.
“For us to lean into AI that looks the same as everybody else’s, I think that would hurt us more than help us,” Foster said.
Natalie Ellis said she learned design fundamentals by watching her mother, who holds a master’s degree from the Art Institute of Dallas in graphic design.
Ellis said her mother’s client base shifted as AI tools became more widely used.
“She did lose clientele a lot at first, and then recently she has gotten a lot more of people that are just really sending her AI flyers and wanting her to make AI flyers that are real flyers,” Ellis said.
Some designers say AI can serve as a bridge between clients and creatives, giving clients a way to show what they want before work begins. But Ellis said the shortcut is changing expectations.
“I think it’s really warping people’s perceptions and how advertisement should be,” Ellis said.
Some consumers said AI-generated content makes it harder to trust what they see.
“I can’t tell what’s real. Is it fake? Is it real? Because people use stuff to edit things nowadays, and I don’t trust it,” said Jesse Grimes.
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