AI Isn’t the Problem. Bullying Is.

On creativity, curiosity, and the freedom artists need to explore new tools

I recently read an article by data engineer Faruk Alpay titled “Bullying and Stigma Against AI Users in 2025: An Unspoken Crisis.” It describes something many people have quietly begun to notice: a growing stigma toward people who use AI tools.

As someone who has explored AI myself, both in business and in creative projects, the article resonated.

AI has been a fascinating resource for me. I’ve used it for administrative support, organizing ideas, drafting content, and occasionally exploring new creative directions, such as turning my poems and reflections into music using tools like Suno. It’s a powerful way to tell stories and share ideas in new forms.

Like many tools, it can help artists and entrepreneurs focus more energy on the work that matters most or express their voice in new ways.

But what I’ve also seen recently, especially online, is artists bullying anyone who uses AI in any way.

The moment that pushed me to write this was seeing an Instagram post openly demonizing artists who use AI to support their work. What’s interesting is that this reaction isn’t really about AI. It’s about something much older. Bullies will bully.

Whether the topic is religion, politics, art, or the newest technology, there will always be people eager to attack those who think differently or explore something new. AI has simply become the latest target.

Artists throughout history have experimented with whatever materials and technologies were available to them. Photography was once criticized for not being “real art.” Digital art was dismissed for years. Synthesizers were controversial in music.

Creativity evolves through exploration. AI is simply another tool in that long lineage.

Some artists may use it to explore ideas. Some may use it to support the administrative side of their creative work. Others may ignore it completely. That diversity has always been part of the creative landscape. I use it sometimes to try something new, or not at all. I know I’m not for everyone, and that’s okay.

What’s troubling is when artists begin shaming other artists for exploring new tools.

Creativity requires curiosity. Curiosity requires freedom. Bullying shuts both down.

Another question sits beneath this debate: who gets to define art?

Some artists create sculptures from trash. Some weld old car parts into beautiful forms. Some build installations from driftwood, scrap metal, or even lint from a dryer.

Artists have always transformed unexpected materials into meaningful expression.

Art has never been defined by the material. It has been defined by the artist.

Art is fundamentally about intention and expression. The artist’s vision and curiosity are what give art its power.

AI does not replace that. It simply offers another set of tools.

For some people, those tools may open doors that physical or mental limitations once made difficult. Tools have always expanded who gets to participate in creativity. That is not a threat to art. In many ways, it is the continuation of art.

History also shows that new technologies almost always appear before society has fully developed the guardrails to manage them. Every technological shift brings both benefits and risks.

New technology also changes work. Entire industries evolve or disappear as new tools emerge. Coal jobs declined as energy systems changed. Manufacturing shifted through automation. Digital technology transformed publishing, photography, and music.

These transitions can be disruptive, but they also create new opportunities.

At the same time, new technologies often bring remarkable benefits, advances in medical research, scientific discovery, accessibility tools, and entirely new forms of creativity and invention.

AI is no different.

It raises important questions about ethics, labor, authorship, environmental impact, and responsible use. These conversations matter. But bullying people who explore new tools is not thoughtful discourse.

In fact, bullying may be a far greater threat to creativity than AI itself. When artists feel afraid to experiment, curiosity disappears. And when curiosity disappears, innovation disappears with it.

Creativity thrives where people are free to explore ideas without fear of ridicule.

The internet offers a simple option we often forget: support the artists, creators, and thinkers whose work resonates with you. If something doesn’t align with your interests or values, scroll past it.

Technology will continue to evolve. But so can we.

We can choose curiosity over contempt.
Dialogue over division.
Exploration over fear.

Creativity requires freedom. Artists deserve the space to explore, and those just beginning their creative journey should always be encouraged to experiment in whatever form calls to them. Unfortunately, whenever someone follows their heart, someone else will find a reason to attack or shame them, and that is the real shame.

Art grows through curiosity, not control.

From my soul journey to yours,
Maria

Credit:
Inspired by the article “Bullying and Stigma Against AI Users in 2025: An Unspoken Crisis” by Faruk Alpay, published on Medium.