Creativity has long been seen as the domain of the few—the artists, designers, and thinkers who knew how to bring ideas to life. But Chad Nelson, Creative Specialist at OpenAI and a veteran of leading creative fields for 25 years, believes that’s changing. Thanks to new AI tools like Sora and impressive next-gen image models, the ability to act on a creative impulse or build expertise is no longer limited by technical skill.

Creativity for all: "I think there's creativity in all of us," Nelson says. "Many of the people I’ve spoken with say, 'Oh, I have all these ideas, but I can't draw.' They say 'no' to themselves. Or they’ll say, ‘I'll see if I can find someone else to do it.’ But now the everyday person can articulate ideas in a much more visual and professional manner. I believe there's a whole host of people who haven’t tapped into their creativity yet, and now they can. That's an amazing thing."

Human at the wheel: His perspective reframes AI not as a shortcut, but as a catalyst—something that removes friction and allows more people to create. Yet Nelson is clear: creativity empowered by AI still needs a human at the wheel. "There’s no magic button with these tools to produce great creativity," he explains. "There is a button to produce a lot of assets. But the human role in the process is to curate and define where the real gems are within those assets – to push those ideas further, and explore them at a deeper level. That is our creative role. That is what we drive."