The debate over Artificial Intelligence(AI) vs Human Creativity has been raging for years, but its impact on art is only just being realized. Some artists have embraced AI as a tool, while others are using it to explore the limits of machine learning. Canadian artists are at the forefront of this movement, with many experimenting with AI to aid their craft, or to see if they can break it.
One artist, Rebecca Brewer, fed descriptions of the effects they wished to achieve in previous paintings into the Open AI tool DALL-E. They were surprised to find that they could get something quite similar to what they had in mind. They eventually incorporated a few examples of AI-generated imagery into their new works by projecting them onto panels and painting them.
While text-to-image software has become publicly available, and some fear that AI will make commercial illustrators or graphic designers obsolete, many fine artists find the new software intriguing. It is an evolution in art history, as artists have always adapted to changes in technology. For example, photography may have displaced some representational painting, but it did not make visual art obsolete. Instead, it pushed art in new directions, such as surrealism, cubism, and abstraction.
Artists who use AI can be divided into two broad categories: those who use AI as a tool and those who use it conceptually. The first group creates images of things that don’t exist, and the second group uses AI to explore the limits of machine learning, and critique, or satirize AI itself. There is some overlap between the two categories, as the first group is also concerned with the philosophical implications of AI and the second group uses AI to make art that has a physical presence even as they question it.
While AI has its advantages, some artists still have reservations about its use. Lauchie Reid, a figurative painter and illustrator, finds AI to be a useful tool when he needs access to things that don’t exist. However, he is ambivalent about the technology, as it can produce interesting but unsuccessful results.
As with any new technology, there are concerns about how artificial intelligence(AI) will impact the art world. Some worry that AI will replace human artists, making their jobs obsolete. However, AI cannot replace the creativity and intuition of an artist. While it can create something that is visually pleasing, it cannot replicate the human experience that goes into creating a piece of art.