15-05-2025
Don't let generative AI in the arts snuff out Rhode Island's creative spark
WaterFire draws 1 million people to downtown Providence every year, proving that art is legitimate economic fuel in Rhode Island's 'Creative Capital.' (Photo by David Santilli/City of Providence)
I first moved to Providence in 2023 as a student and an artist, adamant to understand the city's creative nature I had heard so much about. In one of my first classes, we visited spaces like AS220 and New Urban Arts, places that showcase, nurture, and invite creativity. The art scene easily stopped feeling like an abstract concept and became a reason this city began to feel like a second home.
WaterFire 'Starts at Sunset'
Presented by the Providence Tourism Council
The season's first WaterFire 'Starts at Sunset' event is Thursday, May 15.
Programming begins at 7 p.m., including live music and art activations along the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge. The five braziers will be lit at 8 p.m. and burn until 10 p.m.
One of my earliest memories here is following a trail of music and light — until I stumbled across WaterFire, flames flickering along the river as strangers became a community.
I can't imagine what my experience would have looked like if the flames had gone cold. This is why the recent rise of AI in the arts feels more personal than theoretical. The same creative community that drew me in is now under threat.
Unchecked, AI could limit compensation, erase human authorship and weaken the artistic institutions. Generative AI challenges the foundation of our creative economy. In Rhode Island, a state where the arts fuel both the economy and identity, that loss isn't just creative. It's structural. It's social.
We must act now to regulate AI thoughtfully, protecting artists' rights while embracing technology responsibly.
Together, arts and culture contribute $2.2 billion to Rhode Island's economy and nearly 18,000 jobs. Through traditions, institutions, and organizations such as WaterFire Providence, AS220, and the RISD museum, creative capital drives commerce, education, and tourism.
WaterFire, a public art installation of fire statues across three downtown Providence rivers, provides major economic benefits. The fires attract around 1 million attendees every year, serving to fill local restaurants and hotels. These free events generate an estimated $12 million to $15 million in tax revenue for Rhode Island, and stand as living proof that art is legitimate economic fuel.
The recent rise of AI in the arts feels more personal than theoretical. The same creative community that drew me in is now under threat.
A few blocks away, AS220 is an artist-run organization that invests in affordable creative space. Each year the organization supports 1,000 local artists and draws upwards of 90,000 people to its events. Further, in the past year, the RISD Museum brought nearly 120,000 visitors and hosted hundreds of educational programs for schools and the public.
Enter generative AI, a modern challenge to Rhode Island's embedded creativity. AI art tools can learn and grow from existing artist's works without permission or pay. Local creatives worry their livelihoods could be the next casualty of unchecked, unregulated automation.
Griffin Smith, a digital art instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design, warns that AI could 'eliminate a 'middle class' of designers and freelance artists' as algorithms begin to replace local talent.
This isn't a hypothetical fear. Nationally, the Brookings Institution has identified creative jobs, especially in design, writing, music, and video production, as among the most vulnerable to AI-driven automation. A McKinsey report predicts that by 2030, as many as 30% of creative and media jobs could be displaced without meaningful regulation. In states like Rhode Island, where small arts organizations and independent creators keep entire neighborhoods alive, the consequences won't just be artistic, but social.
We can't stop innovation, change, or progress. And we shouldn't try to. What we can do is channel new technologies with foresight. We need thoughtful regulation of AI to preserve the creative economy Rhode Islanders have built.
First, copyright laws must catch up by requiring artists' consent before companies use their work to train AI, preventing labor extraction.
Second, ensure transparency. AI-generated art and content should be clearly labeled so consumers know the origin of the work. By protecting artists' intellectual property we preserve trust in the creative industries.
Third, lead by example. Rhode Island's leaders, politicians, and companies should discourage art built solely by AI in public programs and promote technology that enhances and assists rather than replaces human creativity.
Providence is the 'Creative Capital' for a reason. Not because of algorithms, but because of our people. Let's not risk our identity, our economy, or our communities, a protection that demands public pressure. We can embrace new tools as they come our way, but on our terms: ensuring technology serves our people, not the other way around.
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