Here’s a question that’s been eating at me lately, watching AI art.

When did we stop making art and start producing content?

British actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson said something at the 2023 Royal Television Society conference that hit hard. Really hard.

“The word ‘content’ makes me feel like the stuffing inside a sofa cushion.”

Think about that for a second. Cushion stuffing. Padding. Filler. Something designed to take up space, not create meaning.

“It’s just rude for creative people,” she continued.

What Gets Lost in Translation

The language we use shapes how we value work. When we call everything “content,” we’re performing a kind of conceptual violence:

• Intention becomes inventory.
• Art becomes padding.
• Creation becomes filler.

Thompson put it perfectly:

“I want to feel different after I’ve watched something.”

Different. Not just entertained. Not just distracted. Changed.

This Isn’t Just Semantics

I know what you’re thinking. “Come on, it’s just a word.”

But it’s not. Words reveal posture. They shape perception. They determine value.

When executives talk about “content,” they’re thinking about slots to fill. Algorithms to feed. Metrics to hit.

When artists talk about work, they’re thinking about connection. Impact. Transformation.

See the difference?

The Question That Changes Everything

So here’s what I want you to ask yourself, especially if you’re creating anything in this digital space:

Am I creating to fill a feed? Or am I creating to connect, provoke, inspire?

Your answer changes everything. Including what you call it.

Taking a Stand

Thompson’s frustration wasn’t just about language. It was about respect. Recognition. The relationship between creators and the systems that profit from their work.

She argued for closer partnerships between executives and creatives. For valuing authenticity over formulas. For understanding that what resonates isn’t data-driven, it’s gut-driven.

“You find your audience by being completely authentic,” she said.

Not by reverse-engineering an algorithm. Not by studying what worked yesterday. By creating something that shifts people. Even slightly.

What This Means for AI Artists

If this resonates with you, and I think it should, then consider your own practice.

Are you making AI art that feels like content? Generic. Interchangeable. Designed to perform rather than provoke?

Or are you using these tools to create something that makes people feel different?

The technology doesn’t answer that question. You do.

The Bottom Line

Emma Thompson reminded us that words matter. That “content” is reductive. That creativity deserves better.

So let’s give it better.

Call it work. Call it art. Call it vision.

Just don’t call it stuffing.