Artists are currently disoriented and perhaps resentful of the new hip “Artist” on the block thanks to AI technological advancements. We are scared that we will become obsolete, much like the traditional story of John Henry and the steam drill (See link if you are not aware of the folklore.) It’s difficult because it feels like all of that time and effort spent honing a craft was for nothing. Which I feel a lot of artists are focusing on. At first, I struggled with how these new advancements would effect my artwork. However, through research and using AI, I have found that it can enhance artwork rather than derail it. So let me start by giving some background on why I care.

I was always a fan of the arts. In a world where I thought I had no voice, the process of creating and smearing a glob of paint around on a canvas to create a picture offered me a different approach to expressing myself. Through the use of a paintbrush, a pencil, a marker, or even a crayon, I discovered a means to express my actual feelings and emotions. As you can see, creating art is very personal to me.

Growing up, I believed that finding my voice was the most crucial thing for me to do. I felt that if I didn’t find a way to express myself, I would risk losing my humanity. English and Art were the two classes in high school that I eagerly anticipated every day of the week. It was in these classes that I first discovered my voice. I frequently switched between painting and drawing, composing poetry, and returning back to the canvas (and I still do this today). I never once imagined AI would prevent me from losing this outlet, and I don’t believe artists need to start worrying now.

I’ve recently been getting my hands dirty with AI, which I’ve found is a fantastic tool. It has served as a resource for research and idea development. I’m genuinely astonished by how practical and enjoyable this new technology is. I don’t believe the artist community should be scared of it. I’m here to express my opinion that there may be a way for artists and AI to eventually “get along.” Let me make an effort to clarify. Below are pictures generated from Microsoft Bing’s AI Image Generator. I chose these pictures because they show how beautiful and ugly AI art can be.

If AI art doesn’t saturate the market within the next ten years, and the craze of four-fingered people doesn’t go away, I’ll be shocked. However, if it doesn’t and the software continues to build and become better, the artist and the art community will be OK. We as artists can use AI development to improve our work and become better as well.
When the camera was first invented, artists were terrified of it. Nowadays, with the abundance of cameras in practically every hand and pocket, we can now look back and declare that the scare was pointless. Have you ever noticed how your phone’s data fills up with photographs you never look at? This is the point I want to make. The significance of snapping a photo on your phone and losing it in the thousands of pictures you have stored won’t ever be the same as if someone purchased a hand-painted canvas of the same image. Because when someone buys a painting, it is not only about the image but also the craft. The “painting” was carefully created by the artist through years of trial and error. Now, I’m not saying photography isn’t an art form, it very much is, but it’s different from when an artist chooses to put a brush stroke on a canvas than it is to hold your phone up and take a picture. True photography isn’t that, but AI Imaging is. Much like the camera phone, AI imaging is taking away from the development of the art being created. It’s taking away the process.

So what can the fear of the camera and the fear of AI imaging teach us as artists? How can we use it to our advantage? One thing that we can all agree on is that it’s now simpler to get photographs to use as references. The artist is no longer required to wait in a field while the sun sets to get that perfect reference. They can snap a photo of the sun setting and take that photo to their house and utilize it as a reference to create their own masterpiece. This is what artists will be doing/are doing with AI, and we should start using it this way now.

Use AI as a reference and inspiration for your art. Use it to aid in understanding concepts, perspectives, and potential outcomes. I don’t know many artists who begin painting or drawing a concept with the full image, including every single detail, waiting to be sketched out in their minds, as it usually starts off as an idea. (If any artists can do this, I applaud you; unfortunately, most of us can’t.) In other words, we can and should employ AI to help us expand on our ideas. However, we should never claim AI artwork as our own. The reason is that it is taking the craft and process away from us. Art, after all, is as much about the process as it is about the end result. Don’t believe me? Go look at any Jackson Pollock (see below) or MC Escher. (Painting by Jackson Pollock called Convergence)

There is an ugly side to AI Imaging that is more than just your typical deformed hand; it’s with the person using it (Not the software). People will always abuse innovations, including laws, taxation, and technology. The abuse is now taking place with AI. I observe so-called AI artists posting and spreading AI artwork as if it were their own all the time. It appears as if these so called artists painstakingly applied the various textures and shadings necessary to render the image realistically, but they didn’t. These fake artists attempt to game the system. As a community of artists, we must come to terms with this. Instead of getting angry on social media platforms, use that energy to fine-tune your skills. Develop your own style and remember that Art is also about the process as much as it is about the piece.

To close, I would like to quote one of my favorite singers and song writers, Bob Dylan, who sang, “Please get out of the new one (World) if you can’t lend your hand. For the times, they are a-changing.” Let’s not forget, as artists, that society will continue to value our contribution even as times change. Don’t be one of those people who fight against the times, as we are here now in this era of humanity for a reason. AI imaging will have its place, and it is there to enhance our work, not take it over. After all, we artists have a profound calling. We are those who push limits. We are people who choose to deviate from the norm rather than follow it. We are trailblazers and truth seekers. And that is a beautiful thing because it is the poets, musicians, and artists that help us see the world from a different perspective. And that is why our art will succeed.

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