Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting a wide variety of artists - musicians, stage performers, singers, writers, ceramic creators, photographers, poets, you name it - and more recently, digital artists and those who use generative AI tools to create, well, "art."
Countless fascinating conversations have unfolded about what constitutes "real" art and what it means to be a "real" artist. Still debating the usefulness of the word "real."
Unsurprisingly, many people I’ve encountered are strongly opposed to the idea of using AI to create art. They feel threatened by these tools and don’t consider AI-generated creations to be "true" art.
After reflecting on this topic from different angles within the art world, here’s what I’ve personally concluded:
- AI as a Creative Enabler: AI, for many, serves as a powerful enabler, offering new avenues for creative expression. For me, it’s a way to transform my written words and ideas into a tangible digital form (see the picture attached to this very article). In many ways, AI lowers the barrier for those who may not possess traditional artistic skills (or time to use them or both) but still have a vision they wish to express.
- Emotion and the Human Element: While AI isn’t (yet) capable of experiencing or expressing emotions - a fundamental element in the creation of art throughout history - it can still act as an enabler, another tool in the artist’s toolbox. The emotional depth of art has long been driven by the artist’s own feelings, but that doesn’t mean AI can’t assist in expressing them. Actually, it can and it does pretty well so far based on my very own experience.
- Challenging the Definition of "Real" Art: We often say that art is "true" when it evokes emotion - from my perspective, this idea itself is debatable - but for the sake of discussion, digital art can certainly stir feelings just as much as any other form of art. Art’s value lies in its impact, and if an AI-generated piece speaks to the audience, does it really matter how it was created? For me personally, it doesn't, but I understand that for many people, it does.
- The Intersection of Art and Technology: Historically, new technologies have often been met with skepticism by traditional artists. The best example that comes to mind is Impressionism. In its early stages, this artistic movement was met with disbelief and, quite frankly, hatred from the well-established Parisian art scene. So what did the early Impressionists do? They created their own community. Photography, as a second example, was initially dismissed by painters, yet it became a respected art form over time. The painters feared losing their jobs, and it was considered to be the end of painting. Painting seems to be fine even this days as an art form. Could AI simply be the next evolution, one that we may come to accept and celebrate in the future? This would be my hope and aim in my very AI-artistic endeavours.
- AI and Human Collaboration: Rather than replacing human creativity, AI can serve as a collaborator. By merging human ingenuity with AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data and generate new ideas, we may discover innovative forms of artistic expression that would be impossible without this partnership. The relationship between AI and artist can become symbiotic, enhancing creativity rather than diminishing it. I know there's a fine line between symbiotic, equal collaborations and being overruled by technology, but I think we need to try.
- Ethical Considerations: A key element of any ethical discussion around AI-generated art is the potential harm it may cause. But how do we define harm in this context? Is it the loss of jobs in traditional artistic fields? Is it the dilution of human creativity? Or is it the misuse of AI to infringe upon intellectual property? These are questions we must wrestle with as we integrate AI further into the art world.
- AI as a Reflection of Humanity: Interestingly, AI-generated art can also serve as a mirror reflecting our collective human consciousness. Since AI models are trained on human-created data, they draw from the cultural, artistic, and historical contributions of people (still very limited and very biased thou). Therefore, in a way, AI art is still shaped by humanity - it can become product of our shared creativity and knowledge once we ensure all ideas, knowledge and perspectives are included.
Ultimately, the debate around AI in the arts will continue, but perhaps we can broaden the definition of art itself, embracing new tools without losing sight of the creativity and emotion that lie at its heart.
How do you feel about this?
P.S. And here, my friends, are some of the AI-generated 'art' pieces I’ve created over the past two years now. It has been a fascinating journey of discovery and co-creation for me.
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