This was most recently on display when Coca-Cola released a behind-the-scenes video, showcasing how they used an AI/Artist hybrid technique to create their latest Christmas-themed commercial. Anti-AI proponents instantly started scrubbing through and time-stamping the video, claiming that the entire thing had been AI-generated to pretend to the public at large that they actually hired real artists. This, of course, would not be the win they think it is, because that would eliminate their argument that AI is “slop” and actually prove that it can do the job of artists without the artist’s hand. But, supposing that even if it was true, could you really blame Coke for trying to stave off the hordes who insist that they’re owed a living at the expense of everyone else, whether they lose money doing it or not?
You may be asking yourself why I would be using this corporate example when the title of this article is meant to be about overcoming their monopolies. I’ll ignore the obvious, that some corporations are much more powerful than most, and bring us to what’s at the heart of the matter.
In this day and age, we see that there are two types of people in this world, and every one of us has a little of the other within us. They are the people who think, examine, strive to comprehend, and adjust our beliefs in an attempt to align ourselves with, and therefore better navigate, reality. Then there are those who are conditioned by cultural engineering to accept what they are told as truth, appealing to their ego and desire to be morally superior, quick to answer calls to action to battle ne’er-do-wells on the basis of everyday offering a new existential threat that appeals to their main-character-syndrome. A name for these types, which has been attributed to Communist dictator and mass-murderer Vladimir Lenin, is “useful idiot,” which implies that they can be moved and utilized into doing things on behalf of an agenda, while being completely oblivious to what it is or how their actions aid in it. They act against their own self-interest and then, in their pride, deliberately gaslight themselves out of heeding the red flags of their own subjugation.
For a corporation, these people are a gift. Some can be bought at a low price, but most will do it for them for free, even if on the surface it looks like they’re in the line of fire themselves. The thing is, they can absorb it just fine. They have the means through their own public relations and legal shields to weather the storm. What they’re counting on is that the small businesses and independent creators can’t.
“The greatest rebellion isn’t boycotting a tool; it’s using the most democratizing technology available to build a sustainable business.”
That’s right. The competition isn’t with other corporations for them. It’s the next wave of entrepreneurs, or “The guy in a garage” as billionaire Bill Gates put it when he was asked in an interview what he feared most in his position, the very place that his own company, as well as giants like Amazon, were incubated. To strangle them in their proverbial cribs would be too difficult a task to carry out themselves. There’s no way of predicting which ones pose a threat and they can’t search for and undercut them all, but it just so happens that there’s already a pre-conditioned internet mob on a perpetual witch-hunt, armed with self-appointed moral authority to clean out the evil AI users from under the floorboards and make sure they can’t ever harm anyone again with their, checks notes…. indie-films, video games, personal projects, and fan art.
You’ve clearly seen the blueprint now: The establishment is relying on the mob to build a cultural fence and eliminate competition for them. But the real reason they fear the independent creator is that AI, particularly the open-source community’s tools, gives us the power to build outside their fence entirely. To triumph, you must pivot from defense to offense. You need to stop watching the shrieking mob and start mastering the means of production they want to make illegal. This means prioritizing skill over subscription. Your superpower isn’t your budget; it’s your ability to quickly and skillfully direct complex generative tools to handle 90% of costly, time-consuming production tasks (concepting, matte painting, asset creation), freeing your limited resources to execute the 10% of high-value human artistry that defines your work. Even if you don’t want to use AI, keeping it available as an option will ensure your own freedom to do it your way. The greatest rebellion isn’t boycotting a tool; it’s using the most democratizing technology available to build a sustainable business that doesn’t need the establishment’s resources or permission.
The truth is, the corporate monopoly is coming, but it can only control the creators who remain dependent on their systems. To beat them, you must control your own destiny. Learn to leverage the power of AI to generate and control unique intellectual property that you can monetize across multiple platforms, giving you maximum negotiating leverage and reducing your risk exposure to any single corporate gatekeeper. The final masterpiece that matters won’t be the one approved by the loudest critics or the largest studio, but the one defined by your unique vision and brought to life through your mastery of every tool at your disposal. The only way out of their game is to master yours. Choose thinking and creating over shrieking and submitting. Choose autonomy.
Christopher Moonlight is an animator, special effects artist, and the director of the ‘Award This’ winning movie, The Quantum Terror. His upcoming animated sci-fi adventure, Escape From Planet Omega-12, combines traditional film-making special effects with AI to create something never seen before in independent film. You can follow the behind-the-scenes, including tutorials, tips, and tricks, on his YouTube Channel and Substack.
"…The competition isn’t other corporations for them. It’s the next wave of entrepreneurs, or “The guy in a garage”"
