Does AI (artificial intelligence) pose a threat to the artistic community?
The short answer is – yes
Recently there have been major leaps in the development and popularity of artificial intelligence. Chatbot Technology has expanded dramatically and is spilling over into artistic industries with a rippling effect of concern.
With the help of AI, anyone and everyone now has access to an unlimited ability to create artistic expressions in ways we have never been available to before. AI is able to digitalize a singer’s voice and create new songs based on anyone’s supplied lyrics. The accuracy of this replication is almost indistinguishable from the original singer’s voice. And this technology is only getting better.
In the visual arts department, AI can now create new works of art by interpreting supplied reference material like subject words or an image. These new digital creations have shown themselves to be stunning, quickly rendered, and eerily indistinguishable from human-made artwork. All over the internet, you can find digital galleries featuring ai artwork and the sales are staggering…
AI has already begun writing online articles for content outlets like Buzzfeed and has the capacity to produce emotive poetry with ease. While these advancements do certainly sound exciting, the impact of this sudden development on the arts is already being felt. Yes, our fears are valid… As creators, we are at risk of our craft’s value evaporating and our industries turning away from humanmade works of art and towards cheaper, faster, artificial renderings. After all, who could even tell the difference?
Levi Strauss & Co. the iconic American blue jean distributor recently announced a partnership with Lalaland AI which generates hyper-realistic fashion models. The nature of this partnership was sugarcoated with a thin veil of “diversity” but was fooling no one with their attempt to replace the use of actual models with a quicker, cheaper digital option.
The dehumanization that comes along with artificial intelligence has already begun to seduce large companies’ bottom lines. Why pay for a model, when you can just have AI design a digital one with the exact specifications you desire?
Uh oh…
Are any other fine artists and illustrators getting a little nervous yet?
Well, it turns out you may have good reason to be concerned. The first AI-illustrated children’s book has already been published. Ammaar Reshi with the help of ChatGPT (an AI-powered chatbot from OpenAI) created a fully illustrated children’s book in a matter of just minutes.
He did this without the help of a professional illustrator (a person who dedicates their life to mastering a craft.) Instead, he collaborated with artificial intelligence and was selling on Amazon Books only a couple of days later.
While Ammaar did receive some backlash online for his choices he was still able to streamline the publication process.
The conversation about AI-generated art and its ethical use has arrived and it’s time to start thinking seriously about its implication on artists and artistic integrity. How do copyrights factor into this? What kind of value will humanmade creations hold when the future of art is pointing in the direction of phasing out humanity?
Will our skills and craft fade into obscurity? Hopefully not, but it will be dangerously threatened without careful considerations being taken to preserve value. According to a former Google executive, AI is known to have the potential to displace 40% of all jobs on earth demolishing both our sense of human purpose and passion.
How do we keep humanity, human when art is under pressure to become artificial? It’s long been thought that art is one of the highest expressions of the human condition which has contributed to its eternal worth. Art has always been a steadfast reflection of cultures and society, now with AI the thought process of creation has been removed and delegated to a computer. Not only does this diminish art’s reason for existing (to connect with others in an organic meaningful way) it removes significance entirely and our drive to create in the first place.
I’m sure there will always be pockets of industry that won’t “sell out” but regardless the industries are going to start looking very different now.
Pandora’s box is open and creative entrepreneurs and artists of all mediums are gonna feel the pinch. If they haven’t yet already…
Are you worried about AI’s impact?
Leave us a comment so we can discuss it!
This post was written and curated by Aria La Faye ( Artist, Florist, & Tea Specialist) to read more posts like this one check out our creative blog. If you’d like to write a guest post send us an email
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