The Artist Vs. AI...am I Screwed?
The Artist Verse AI...am I Screwed?
b y m AI a n a R o s e
"Pretty soon, AI art generators will surpass most mid-level visual artists' abilities to create art. Of course, high-level artists' work will always hold value"
I sat and listened in a room full of techies and visionaries discussing an upcoming project for the Metaverse (due to NDAs, I am unable to discuss details). My inner dialogue kicked in, unfortunately out loud.
"I'm screwed," I blurted out.
Did I really just say that out loud in a room of successful creative technologists? Immediately my cheeks turned a rosy hue as all eyes turned to me. Hoping to maybe save myself from the embarrassment I continued…
Me: "Well, I am an artist, mid-level, albeit. So what you're saying is that if AI really can do everything an artist can do, but more efficiently with a higher skill level, then artists like myself don't have much promise for our careers?"
There was a long pause in the room, acknowledging the gravity of the statement just made. Could AI really outweigh the value of human creativity? To my surprise, I was met with a rather enlightened response…
"Well, yes, highly successful, famous artists will remain unphased, and there will be plenty of use cases where AI-generated art may be valuable. However, if you are an artist at any level of success, AI will actually be able to aid you as an artist in the process of creation and can even learn how to create in your style."
I sat with this thought. I'm not lazy, but considering the notion that I could train AI to do my work for me, or at least make the creation process more efficient...well, maybe this doesn't sound so bad after all!
I share this exchange because it touches on a larger conversation being had: it is pertinent for artists like myself to be aware and involved, so we can empower ourselves to use the exponentially improving capabilities that AI presents to our advantage. When you think about it, many successful artists actually employ others to do the physical labor of turning their vision into something tangible, so couldn't AI do the same?
Generators like OpenAI's DALL-E are truly incredible in their ability to mimic famous artists' styles and incorporate any imagery through word prompts chosen by the user. These tools can essentially make anyone into an artist. That, in conjunction with the rise of NFT trends, makes the value of AI art seem a bit threatening.
Artists may take comfort in some of the findings of experts looking into the pros and cons, and inherent differences between AI generators and 'the artist.' For one, generators like OpenAI's DALL-E cannot replace 'the artist' mostly because the process of creative decision making is something that is uniquely human. Anne Ploin and her team at the Oxford Internet Institute, researching the effects of AI on creative industries, have claimed that it will mostly aid artists and creatives to help with efficiency.
Will I quit my career as a painter / illustrator…no! (At least not yet!) And If anything, artists should look to acquire skills from these platforms, and learn how to assist AI in the process of creation, and perhaps look at it as a new medium worth exploring.
