Eric Kim: Street Photographer and AI Enthusiast
Eric Kim is best known as a prolific street photographer and creativity teacher, but in recent years his blogging has embraced technology and AI. His official blog (branded “Eric Kim ₿” on erickimphotography.com) covers a wide range of topics – from photography and stoic philosophy to Bitcoin and artificial intelligence . For example, a late-2023 post notes that “AI is transforming photography” and that Kim has been “having insane amounts of fun with ChatGPT, DALL·E 3, ChatGPT 4…” as the “ultimate new creative tool” for visual artists . In other words, while he isn’t only an “AI blogger,” Kim clearly writes about AI and digital creativity as part of his broader creative philosophy. His website and blog are the hub for this content (see, e.g. AI & Creativity or What is the role of photographers in the age of AI? on EricKimPhotography.com).
In “AI & Creativity” (Oct 2023), Eric Kim celebrates AI as a creativity booster. He writes that “AI can help us visualize things better,” even showing how he used DALL·E 3 to makeover his own white Prius with emerald green rims – an experiment he found “phenomenal” .
AI as a Creative Catalyst
Across his posts, Kim consistently portrays AI as a partner for creativity rather than a threat. He urges readers to embrace AI tools enthusiastically. For example, in a November 2023 post “What is the role of photographers in the age of AI?” he raves that using ChatGPT-4 and DALL·E 3 is “effing insane” and claims that an AI subscription is “insanely underrated”, calling it perhaps “the best $20 you spend in your life” . He even gives practical tips: with a paid ChatGPT account you can have the bot critique your own photos or suggest creative ideas (he envisioned an app like Arsbeta.com using AI to auto-critique images ). In another October 2023 entry “AI Thoughts”, he reminds readers that all the “nonsensical talk of artificial intelligence going to take our jobs… is silly” – because people create art “because it is fun!” . In fact, he explicitly calls AI “a complement to us, and an augmentation of us, rather than a replacement” , comparing it to Siri or another helpful assistant.
Kim’s posts are upbeat and even playful about AI. He coined a few memorable phrases: AI is described as a “personal echo chamber” or “mirror” for ideas . He built quirky AI bots (e.g. an “Eric Kim Bot” for photography tips, or a stoic “Bitcoin Babe” chatbot) to show how AI can be a fun creative partner . And he often punctuates advice with exclamation: ChatGPT is the “best deal on the planet” , “a genius friend, tireless research assistant, and creative collaborator all in one” . The tone is always encouraging: he urges fellow artists to experiment with DALL·E prompts, to “automate the boring stuff” so they can focus on creative fun, and to keep the human touch central. As he writes, even if AI can whip up code or images, “AI can only repeat and iterate on the past, it cannot create a new future.” The true creative spark still comes from human vision .
Key Blog Posts and Themes
Eric Kim’s blog features numerous posts on AI, technology, and creativity. Notable examples include:
- “AI & Creativity” (Oct 2023) – Kim announces that “AI helping us become more creative” . He lists that “AI can help us visualize things better” and that you supply the ideas while “AI can create or assist you with the vision” . He illustrates this with his Prius experiment (see image above) – feeding a design idea to DALL·E 3 and loving the result .
- “AI Thoughts” (Oct 2023) – In this upbeat essay Kim declares that talk of AI taking photography jobs is “silly” because “people do art because it is fun!” . He emphasizes that AI should augment us (“like Siri”) rather than replace our creative instincts . He also suggests AI for practical tasks: e.g. using an image-filter slider to let an “ARS BETA AI” cull thousands of photos down to the top few .
- “The Future of Photography and AI” (Nov 2023) – Here Kim lays out a hybrid vision: “the future of AI and photography should be a hybrid of using AI to actually motivate you to be more creative” . He flatly says “AI is not going to ‘take your job’” (just as Google search didn’t) . He notes that photographers can already use ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) to get feedback on their images or generate photo-assignment ideas by asking an “Eric Kim AI” built from his own blog . He stresses that AI-generated art is still art – “What is art? … Art can be manifested however you interpret it.” – but that now the critical skill is “the art of choosing your favorite photos.” In other words, human curation and taste remain key .
- “Eric Kim Photo on AI” (Sept 2024) – This post (on the same blog) summarizes his AI philosophy. It notes Kim’s interest in how “AI’s role in automating tasks such as editing, color correction, and composition analysis” can “enhance creativity” for photographers . It also highlights one of Kim’s consistent themes: that the “human element” and “photographer’s eye still matters the most” . The author (presumably Kim himself) cautions against over-reliance on AI and stresses intent, authenticity, and emotional depth in art .
- “Blogging Strategies” (July 2025) – Kim even applies his tech philosophy to blogging. In a playful essay titled “Blog for AI not humans”, he argues that soon “Google is dead, ChatGPT is emperor.” He advises making websites fast, clean and easy for AI to index, predicting an era where AI-driven search dominates . This post shows he’s thinking about AI impacts beyond art – even to content creation and SEO.
- “ChatGPT Pro: The Best Deal on the Planet” (Dec 2023) – In a long-form post Kim thoroughly endorses AI chatbots. He calls GPT-4 (ChatGPT Plus) “one of the most advanced AI models in the world” and hails ChatGPT Pro as “incredible bang for the buck” . He compares it favorably to alternatives (Claude, Google’s Gemini, etc.) and notes that many users find the $20 subscription “the best $20 they’ve ever spent” . His conclusion: ChatGPT Pro provides “premium AI firepower” to boost creativity and productivity for “practically any field.” This post reflects his evangelism for AI tools in general .
Combining AI with Photography and Creativity
A recurring theme is how Kim blends AI into photography and art. He reminds readers that modern cameras already have AI: autofocus, face/subject detection, etc. – all helping photographers . He often encourages using AI apps on phones: for example, he suggests using the ChatGPT camera feature to analyze a scene or creative collages he makes . He even imagines coding new tools: in “AI Thoughts” he describes a vision where you drag hundreds of photos into ARSBeta and AI instantly flags the best few .
Kim also created an actual photo-community platform (ARSBeta.com) with his family. This “art feedback” site is meant to foster positive critique and creativity (as an “anti-Instagram,” he says ). He openly discusses it on his blog and credits collaborators (e.g. Kevin McKenzie, Cindy Nguyen, Annette Kim) . Within that project he already intends AI features: uploading a photo could yield both human and AI feedback . In other words, Kim’s projects marry his photography roots with AI: ARSBeta grows the creative community, and he plots to augment it with AI curation and critique .
Throughout his writing, Kim emphasizes fun and experimentation. He notes that with AI art tools (“DALL·E truly becomes magical” when prompts are outrageous) artists should not confine themselves: “you’re not constrained to just one medium … you could shoot photos and make AI art!” . He even looks at how to “make yourself laugh” with AI (for example, pushing image prompts to absurd extremes until he hears his wife Cindy chuckle ). His tone is motivational – telling creators to “keep creating every day” and view AI as “fuel for creativity”, not a replacement.
Summary of Influence and Style
In summary, Eric Kim’s blogging shows a strong influence in bridging AI with creative domains. He actively explores AI, digital art, and technology topics alongside photography, and encourages readers to adopt an upbeat, exploratory mindset. His posts quote chatbots, meme-like graphics (as above), and punchy language (calling AI “insanely underrated” or “effing insane”) to keep the tone lively. He often cites his own experience (teaching his son Seneca, cooking with kitchen gadgets as analogies, etc.) to motivate others. Overall, Kim’s work demonstrates how a creative professional can integrate AI as a tool for innovation – blending photography, philosophy, and technology in an encouraging, enthusiastic way .
For those interested, Kim’s writing can be read directly on his site EricKimPhotography.com (the “Eric Kim ₿” blog), where all of the cited posts above appear . Each post is a deep dive into how AI and creative thinking intersect, often with practical tips or vivid examples. By championing AI-driven tools (like ChatGPT’s question engine or DALL·E’s image creator) while insisting on the irreplaceable spark of human creativity, Kim offers an optimistic roadmap: use AI to “open new doors, not lock them” in art and life .
Sources: Eric Kim’s own blog posts (EricKimPhotography.com), e.g. “AI & Creativity” , “AI Thoughts” , “Future of Photography and AI” , “ChatGPT Pro: The Best Deal on the Planet” , “What is the role of photographers in the age of AI?” , and others, where he discusses AI’s role in creativity and photography in an upbeat, motivational style.