Artists Vs AI Movements

The artists of this generations, be it aspiring or established, seem to dominantly share the opinion that A.I. is a detriment to their creations. Why would anyone want to give an artist opportunity when they could just generate it themselves? The power to make art is in the hands of those who aren’t artistically inclined, so that poses a threat to the people who do this from a skillful talent or interest. First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the fact that we have many talented artists and creators alike, myself included, of course. There are a myriad of different styles, influences, and ideas from individuals who are either respected or unseen in this field. Some merely do it as a hobby, some as a way to cope with life, some as a profession, and some as a combination of those things. Regardless of such, the attention has come to a mutual understanding that A.I. has a risky stance in artistry. However, let’s not pretend that art has ever been a great means of stable work. There might’ve been a moment in time in the past where art had been celebrated and garnered the most impressive thing that one could do or accomplish. Praise and wealth circulated the field for artists that took the interests of ancient rulers, governing powers, and business establishments with foundations that extend even into the modern era. But that’s just it, the modern era. In the modern era we have the internet, an entire web of content and information passing through many systems on a constant basis. This allowed art to flourish and prosper in a way that had never been done before. All of a sudden there were web spaces dedicated to art; there were social spaces for artists to share and compare their work. Commissioning talent had reached a level that had been unseen over the course of history. You could say it was much like the Renaissance, but through a digital age that we couldn’t have imagined would’ve impacted our lives to this degree. Even with that, it eventually became saturated. If everyone can post art at a moment’s notice, what would make it unique enough to pay attention to? What could possibly make one piece of artwork more credible and interesting than another of similar skill levels and talent? It’s the most competitive area that we have, and being an artist is both a blessing and a curse. Your imagination and skills come in alignment to create something for others to witness. What words and communication couldn’t express, could be interpreted through the art. Only problem is that in the modern era, this art merely serves as yet another dopamine spike for those who view it, but a deeper process for the artists who create it.

Artists feel as though their work should be valued by others in the same way that they value it, it’s both a selfish perspective and an understandable one. We all seek some level of value and recognition for the way that we are or the things that we can do. Sadly, the reality is that no matter how much you’ve time, energy, thought or emotion that you’ve placed into the artwork, you’re just another artist. That doesn’t mean you aren’t unique or deserving of attention. It just means that you have to respect your work and also the real-life aspect of people’s interest in your work. So where am I going with this? Simple put, A.I. in some cases is going to be preferred and convenient to those who don’t find the need to socialize and connect with artists to create. It’s fast, free, and comes with no drawbacks that can’t be corrected with a matter of words or do-overs. If an artist is commissioned work and it’s not entirely to the liking of the client, it’ll still be compensated for, but maybe sometimes regrettably so. Other times, the artist can outperform the work that has been generated by A.I. because it suits the vision and precision of whatever has been requested. That said, people are always going to tend to gravitate towards the things that make their lives easier. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this, but the prices have only gone up. Some people don’t want to have to buy art or worry about having something finished that depends on a single individual. Or even have to try to pay or engage with multiple artists for the same product or different ones. They’d much rather just crank their art out by the dozens and choose something that they feel good about. Half of the time, they don’t even check the discrepancies that come with the generated artwork. The logic of the images aren’t accurate, disfigured portions of the art or inconsistencies plague the visuals. This isn’t to say that lots of them aren’t visually stunning and valid in their interpretations, but it’s merely to highlight the fact that A.I. isn’t perfect and it’s far from being so. We haven’t reached that point in time where it can be used confidently to entirely replace anything. Will such a time truly come? Can’t say. What I can say however, is that if you are truly an artist, then nothing can affect your talent. It doesn’t matter how many creations are generated, they won’t fully capture the way you do it and it’ll definitely show. I’ve seen replication of art through A.I. that looks amazing, but you can always tell that it’s A.I. at play. Many people seem to have caught on to when something is naturally created or generated. Others won’t ever be able to tell and so they discern the images as just artwork.

I think that much like my previous ramble about how the internet revolutionized the way we handle art, this is no different. We have to adapt to the time we’re in and make the most of where we place our footing. A.I. can only be as much of a threat as you allow it to be. Remember, it starts from the mentality you choose to adopt around these things. For example, I create many different kinds of art. Which is pretty much the basis of this very website that gets poorly updated, but it’s a space of my own nonetheless. Instead of rejecting A.I. I merely embrace it because this is where the future is headed. You either get on the train, or you get left behind. That doesn’t mean to sell-out or cave to the pressures and expectations of society around what you do. It means that you’ve established yourself, rooted in something that goes beyond what others might think. Sometimes as artists you know you have the urge to create, but can’t yet formulate what that creation is. I find that A.I. helps a lot with that frustration when done in moderation. I vomit my ideas and sift through them fleshing them out and observing their potential as deeply as I can, or sometimes only on a basic level. Then, I hand it over to A.I. to see what it has to offer and what ways that could be refined. That information helps me become a better artist, and also a better thinker. Once you notice some of the patterns, you start to adopt these traits yourself and more ideas naturally form. Now honestly, my brain has always sort of worked very similar to an A.I. in the sense that I can just spawn ideas and thought processes at a moment’s notice. The A.I. helps me stay within the confines of a more structured and focused approach without debilitating my freedom of expression. I could do this myself, but why make things more complicated than they have to be for every instance? Much like the internet, A.I. should be used as a tool, not as a crutch to lean on for everything. So far, A.I. can only create things based on pre-existing data that feeds the M.L. model so that it can compile and dispense a result. It doesn’t make things out of thin air or from its own line of thinking. It isn’t sentient, but we are. That means that a truly original thought or idea, or emotional response can only be actualized by something made by a human. That said, we artists don’t need to take the full brunt of responsibility when it comes to what others are doing with A.I. applications. Our work should be our sole focus and influence. Paying too much attention to the needs of those who gorge generated content is only hindering the kind of progress you can make. Their minds are warped by the excessive levels of instant gratification and ease-of-access just like the rest of us when it comes to online engagement. To some degree, we’re all to blame for anything that happens so long as we interact or utilize these things. The anger is justified where it’s justified, but redirecting that anger into something more constructive and useful for yourself is always going to be the better way of channeling it. I mean, sure, talk as much shit as you want about anything. I think it can be good for us sometimes, even necessary, but be sure to pivot and get back to the things you can actually control and potentially influence for yourself.