Why Doesn’t AI-Generated Work Move Us? Its Biggest Shortcoming

To answer the question in the title, I think a major shortcoming of much of today’s AI-generated content is that it lacks passion, which may be why it doesn’t feel interesting.

AI can mass-produce content at an unprecedented pace, and to some extent, that quantity can translate into quality. Especially with illustrations, it can generate work far faster than any human could, and I think it can achieve a perfectly adequate level of quality.

But I feel that most of this AI-generated content lacks the enthusiasm a creator puts into their work.

The Human Story Behind the Work Is Part of Its Appeal

Take watching sports, for example.

Robots can run faster than humans and move with more perfect form. Yet probably not many people want to watch robots play sports against each other.
And watching flesh-and-blood athletes compete passionately remains popular.

Similarly, shogi AI has surpassed professional players, and it’s now normal for professionals to consult its analysis.
Even so, serious matches between human professionals still fascinate many people.

Why is that?

I think it’s because technical perfection and the ability to move us don’t necessarily go hand in hand. We aren’t looking only for the optimal answer.
Perhaps we’re moved because we connect with and respect the passion of real people behind the work, and become invested in their stories.

When we look at professional athletes or public figures, we sometimes ask whether we can respect them as people. To me, that shows how much audiences want to see human stories and passion through what they watch.

This isn’t limited to people in the spotlight. Writers, illustrators, and game creators who aren’t directly visible also communicate their enthusiasm and messages through their work. We sense the person behind it, relate to them, and are moved by that connection.

Even with AI, You Still Have to Put Passion into the Work

I don’t want to give the wrong impression here: I don’t believe that AI-generated content can’t be interesting.

At present, generative AI is mostly viewed and used as a tool that makes creating something easy. Work that begins simply because it’s easy to make—starting with a means of creating but no purpose or message—is bound to struggle to acquire much soul.

By contrast, I think interesting AI-generated content comes from creators who already have creativity, ideas, and enthusiasm, and use AI as a means of turning those things into something real.

If a creator has strong feelings or a clear vision, writes prompts accordingly, and then revises what comes out, the result can be wonderful work.

Seen this way, I think the role of humans as creators increasingly comes down to something more fundamental.

Now that AI-generated content has lowered technical barriers, I feel the question has become less “How do you make it?” and more “Why do you make it?”