Neal Morgan
Art is unlimited. There are no rules, there are no restrictions and there are very few clear qualifications concerning what constitutes art. Practically anything you make could be considered art simply because you made it. So, what exactly makes AI art different from the rest?
The obvious answer is that it wasn’t really made by a human. A human did not construct the piece themselves, right? But we have to consider that this is not the only art form that relies on technology. For example, photography relies heavily on the camera actually capturing the art. However, it is the human controlling the camera with the vision, just like it is the person writing the prompt who dictates the outcome.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it takes considerably more skill to be a good photographer than it does to be a good AI artist. But, ignoring the skill involved, it is important to note that AI art is art. As I said before, there are no rules when it comes to art, except for that it has to be constructed by humans. And if we get technical, the AI itself was constructed by humans.
So far, I have been defending the validity of AI art. Unfortunately, that makes it sound like I like the art form, while in reality, I despise it with a passion.
First and foremost, there is the issue with who exactly is credited for the creation of the art piece. AI formulates the piece by taking artworks from hundreds of artists and using them to create an algorithm. Often, it will directly steal features from those artworks. So, do those artists need the credit? But then what about the people who actually made the AI? And then, of course, the person who typed in the prompt; are they the real artist?
The only answer that I can give is to credit all of them, but no one has actually done that, and there’s little incentive to do it in the future.
AI also completely eliminates the option for artists to showcase and improve their technical skill. This skill is so important for being able to work with mixed media (or really just any media), and it brings mastery to the artwork. Quite literally every well known and great artist earned that title partially because of their insanely skilled technique.
However, technique is not the only element of art that has been ignored for the creation of AI art. The composition of the piece (including the color choices) is usually either entirely overlooked, or is it only vaguely mentioned in the prompt. Having AI be the unilateral decision maker in an art piece that is supposed to be yours is stunting creativity and is honestly embarrassing.
Yes, as an artist myself, I recognize that I am biased in favor of traditional art (which does include my Procreate and Kleki warriors). But, to be frank, I think it gives me a deeper insight into the purpose of art as a whole. It’s so much more than the finished product, and I would argue that the process of creating is actually more important than the creation itself.
AI is art, it is a human creation (of sorts), but it is still a slight against the art community.