The year is 2024; we have significantly advanced in our technological abilities. This allows for quality healthcare, communication, but also developing new ideas such as Artificial Intelligence. One aspect of Artificial Intelligence we have improved in is AI art generation, which raises the question…Can AI win this creative battle?
Well, either way, it’s safe to say that neither AI nor artists can draw hands, much less toes, with ease. All you’d need to do is look at some AI images (a lot of them include hands with way too many fingers to the point they lack practicality, and the ability to resemble human fingers) and grab your artist friend – now that could be a tough fight!
Artificial Intelligence may be one of the most borderline-dystopian inventions of humankind as of recent. However, it would be dishonest to deny it is also a very versatile invention, with its latest talent in writing stories and poetry, making music, doing your homework, and even voice acting as well as creating art pieces.
Sorry, AI doesn’t do all of that (no one’s usually that talented) – at least not in the way we would imagine. AI uses examples from mediums mentioned above to make its own versions of them, like a classmate who copies your homework, with no inputs of its own.
What’s interesting is…that is exactly what happens!
In recent years, there has been a rise in the use of AI to create art. Obviously, this didn’t escape the eyes of greedy corporations. Just what could they gain from AI? Their prized possession? Ding, ding, ding: Money! This soulless mentality unlatched the gates to the rise of various AI program websites. Although they each likely have different codes and databases, the gist of all of them include targeting legal loopholes to insert visual data into AI models in order to train them, therefore using art made by real artists within the products of these artificial pieces. Strong emphasis on the word “use” here – not “reference” or “inspire”. This action is considered art theft. What makes it worse is that many companies obtain grand digits of profit from them.
“Is this consensual?” If only. If you or an artist you know has ever posted their art on Instagram, it’s guaranteed that it has been used in AI art before without their knowledge.
Sam Does Art is a digital artist that has used his social media platform to speak about this issue. His art, along with Greg Rutkowski’s (a popular fantasy concept artist known for his Dungeons and Dragons character design and worldbuilding), have been inserted into AI datasets in the past; this means that the programs were capable of producing their art styles. Two highly experienced artists working in the field for several years; both significant to the art community. Neither were pleased.
Thankfully, Rutkowski’s art was removed from the databases. AI theft is extremely difficult to undo when the internet is as complex and interconnected as it is now, and can have lasting effects on the artist in question, such as tainting their reputation with fraud and identity theft.
Humans forget easily – I don’t even remember what my last meal was – but AI never forgets. Every new image assembled by a program will forever be a product of billions of art combined to “make sense”. This form of stolen art is unethical and what several artists consider “abuse of raw passion”. Numerous people believe that AI art should not be used for commercial purposes if generated from real artwork, as it is disrespectful towards the history of art and everything it represents for artists.
Art has taken every shape that has existed since the very origins of humanity to thrive within us, from stone carvings to digital animation, and it will continue to do so. Every piece we have created was born from the unique craft of its artist, no matter how perfect their brushes or observational skills are. Our creative processes differ from one another, and we forge our meaning of art through the different life experiences of each individual. AI will never, ever have the privilege of life the way we do.
The AI looks.
The artist sees.
This issue within the art community has left many younger generation artists planning on pursuing art as a career concerned about what their future holds, wondering where this movement will lead creativity and how this will affect future jobs and careers.
AI is merely the beginning of a new path that art will take, much like how Cubism and Impressionism one were. There is no superiority between Artists vs AI, but rather a challenge both sides should overcome in an ethical way. In the end, AI can not be stopped, but it also can’t thrive without artists due to its lack of human essence.
