Multi-artist with AI

Away from the anti-AI debates and in favor, etc., I would like to focus on a positive aspect of generative AI. It seems obvious. With generative AI like Midjourney or any other similar tool, whether in images or videos, you can become a multi-artist.

Today, you can draw like Frazetta, and tomorrow like Maroto. Or, by mid-afternoon, you could turn into Rubens with a blend of Foss and Mead. AI makes this possible; your artistic training does not. You could emulate a dozen, two dozen, or three dozen styles, artists, invent your own, mix them, but you would never have the ability to merge, mix, and dissect thousands upon thousands of different styles and techniques to generate any idea that comes to your mind.

This is an argument in favor of generative AI. You can create anything, even if it only serves as inspiration, as a model. You can imagine a supercar hanging from a harness on a stevedore crane at the port. You can imagine a green cow with glowing eyes sitting in an armchair reading the New York Times. You can, and you can devise, imagine, and compose any scene your mind is capable of thinking.

Now, transcribe it into a descriptive prompt as close as possible to your mental image. Try it out. Adjust the style, remove words, add others. You have no limits. Experiment! That’s what AI is for, among other things. Compare it, if you want, with digital photography. Back in the day, you had a roll of 12 pictures, maybe 24, and you barely took two identical shots. Then, you had to wait to see if the development turned out well, if the photos were in focus, the lighting, etc. When we got our hands on a digital camera with no photo limit, the world opened up for many of us, those who wanted to experiment but at a reasonable cost (or zero). AI allows for this same experimentation, only at an even faster speed. There’s no need to go to a studio, go outside, or be a multimillionaire to fly into the stratosphere. Imagination is enough.

With photography, whether digital or analog, you could aspire to emulate the greats by learning their techniques, using the same materials, equipment, and lots of patience. With generative AI, all you need is to know what style you want to give your image. The algorithms behind the prompt you’re writing will take care of the rest.

Whether imagination should be equated with art is another debate.

Experiment. Experiment, and experiment again. And take note of the results!