AI comes in many forms and is used in everyday items such as spam email filters, facial recognition systems, and video games.
However, concerns have been raised about the newest types of AI available to the public: generative AI and large-scale language models (LLMs).
These systems can respond to any human question, create images, and brainstorm ideas.
LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude scan the internet for information and spit it out in an easy-to-understand way.
Essex residents have a wide range of opinions about artificial intelligence, with some accusing it of contaminating creative industries and others hailing the efficiency benefits it brings to work.
Lisa Harding, 54, is the artist behind the Walton Memories Map, a guide to the town’s old and new businesses that was released last year.
But the former marketer was “disappointed” to hear ordinary people say their art could be recreated using AI.
Lisa said: “Hearing that story broke my heart because I put my heart and soul into my illustrations and loved the process.
“I spent weeks creating artwork and was disappointed when a woman told me that AI could do it in less than 10 minutes.”
Over the past month, Lisa has applied for 60 marketing jobs and received only three rejection letters.
She claims it’s “impossible to get a job” because employers are using AI to scan applications.
“I’m really scared of what my future holds,” she said.
“I am generally scared, finding a job is impossible as many employers use AI to sift through resumes looking for precise keywords.
“Many applications don’t even send a rejection letter.
“I don’t have any children, I live alone and I’m single. There’s nothing to help me other than universal credit.”
When Lisa worked in marketing, she used AI to help with some of her work, but she believes AI should be kept away from the creative industry.
“We don’t use AI for our illustrations. We use artist-grade materials with skills we’ve developed over many years,” she said.
“Some people try to take my image and alter it with AI to make it look like their own image.
“A lot of people ask me why I charge for my art when I can do it with AI.
“AI allows anyone to create these caricatures, memes, and videos, and people forget that there are humans with experience, knowledge, and understanding of others.
“Human creativity seems to be disappearing due to cost and time.”
Joe Holmes, 24, owner of Tide Shift Marketing, says artificial intelligence won’t have as much of a negative impact on the job market as people think.
“I run a marketing agency and being a part of it requires a variety of creative skills.
“But this is one of those industries where everyone is told they’re going to lose their jobs and AI is going to do everything.
“AI can be used as a tool to do things faster.
“Good AI tools can help employees with things like data analysis.
“Typically, this is a very long, manual process that takes a lot of time, but AI can do it faster and allow people to leverage human skills.
“If you ask an AI to market your product, it will tell you how to market it, but a human will ask if the product is ready and if it can see the big picture.
“AI will get smarter, it will have access to more data, it will become more intelligent.
“It won’t have a big impact on the job market, it just means that people with AI skills and who can embrace new technology will be successful.
“People who are ignorant about AI will be left behind.
“New uses of AI are no different than the industrial revolution. I don’t think it’s unfair to say that.”
According to the Office for National Statistics, 41% of UK adults agree that AI will benefit them.
The latest survey was conducted in August 2025 and showed that 20% of adults did not agree that AI use would benefit them, and 39% neither agreed nor opposed.
The anonymous resident, who was attending university for an arts degree, noticed AI being used in everything.
They say, “We are seeing several independent businesses using AI to create menus, promote special deals, and even use AI for photos instead of actually photographing the products.
“It’s unfortunate when you look at Uber Eats as an example, the menu photos are either AI-generated or come from a real image catalog and are not representative of what you will receive.
“I want to support independent places, but I can’t justify giving local creators something custom when they can do anything professionally designed.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize the impact they have on the environment when they produce content.
“AI uses large amounts of fresh water for data center cooling and power generation.
“Global warming is having an impact, and I know some companies are trying to make AI more sustainable, but there are more negatives than positives.”
If you would like to share your thoughts on artificial intelligence, please email grace.capel@newsquest.co.uk.
