As an early advocate for AI (Artificial Intelligence) I get some pushback from people who don’t know anything about the technology and who just want to persecute the entire idea of AI anything. They argue AI text responses are wrong; they bray that AI images are stolen. I have little patience for having a conversation with those types of Luddite deniers because, in the end, their arguments are both boring and wrong. Here’s why.
The one thing that trips up these AI deniers is that AI learns just as we do: through exposure to information and by exploring the relationships of experience. We may not be aware that the piece of Art we saw in the museum inspired our own “original” creation later, perhaps even years later; but if we are being direct with ourselves, we have to confess there are no ideas that are fresh and original. Everything has already been created and published — we just may not know it yet due to geography, education, and lack of exposure.
AI serves to compile and process vast amounts of information, making it more readily accessible and condensing it into an instantly discoverable experience. AI doesn’t steal Art; instead, it draws inspiration from existing art and transforms it into something new — a process that mirrors human creativity, even if we don’t always recognize it. Merging two ideas to create a novel concept is not copying or stealing but rather reflects the age-old human method of internalizing and reinterpreting information. While we might believe we are inventing something groundbreaking, our work is often rooted in previously established ideas.
When the portrait painters began to notice this new thing called photography was taking hold around 1840, the painters said the same thing about photographers what many “artists” today are saying about “AI Art.”
“Oh, a camera is just mechanical. There’s no art to it.”
“Photography is just copying, it isn’t original like what I paint.”
“A camera is not a human mind, so it cannot create originality.”
That was the thinking back in 1840, and now, today, instead of painters vs. photographers, we now have NFT Artists claiming AI Art is “stealing” their stuff and that AI Art is mechanical and uninspired. Sound familiar? Today, photography is considered original, and important Art; and one day, the same will be said about AI generated Art.
Another accusation that is tossed at AI Artists is that we are “only writing text” and that we aren’t actually “creating” the Art — the machines are creating the Art. To that argument, my answer is that writing a prompt that actually creates the intended idea is Art itself: Function meeting inspiration, like a photographer uses a viewfinder to set the context of the captured image, so too, does a text prompt set the parameters of the AI image return.
Plus, many of those accusers are using computers to create their Art. Their iPad is picking the shape, color and angle of their lines and scenes and they are only “prompting” the “embedded AI” in their computers to “create” their end goal.
My final argument with those accusers is that Art takes many forms and has many angles of creation, and we must not judge one method of creation as being more valid than another.
These issues always come down to prestige and money. “I’m better than you. You’re stealing from me!” A year ago, an NFT artist could sell a 1/1 image for $3,000. Today, an AI Art Bot can create hundreds of thousands of original images for a fraction of that price. Times and conditions change, and the professional artists are using AI to their advantage to create even more spectacular Art. They are not just changing with the times, they are taking advantage of the technology to make their lives even better!
It’s the small-timers, the small-minded, and the perpetually perplexed, who complain about all AI because they fear the inevitable: AI will beat them in every comparable way — unless they, too, change and adapt — but they instead want stasis. They want the world to remain stolid and cold for them, just like them.
- Transformation and recombination: AI systems process and transform the input data in novel ways, generating output that can be unique and original. The algorithms learn patterns and structures from the data, but they do not simply copy-paste existing content.
- Creativity as a collaborative process: AI can be seen as a tool or a partner in the creative process, providing new perspectives, ideas, and inspiration to human creators. Artists and writers have always drawn upon the work of others for inspiration, and AI can be seen as an extension of this tradition.
- Expanding access to creativity: AI-generated chat and art can democratize access to creative resources, enabling people who might not have had the means or training to produce high-quality content. This can empower individuals and communities to express themselves and participate in the global creative landscape.
- Ethical considerations: It is important to address ethical concerns around AI-generated content, such as crediting original sources, respecting copyright laws, and ensuring transparency about the use of AI in the creative process. By addressing these concerns, the conversation can shift from simply “stealing and copying” to responsible and innovative AI-assisted creation.
- Continuous evolution: AI systems are constantly evolving and improving, with the potential to develop more sophisticated creative outputs in the future. As AI technology advances, the distinction between mere copying and original output may become less relevant, opening up new possibilities for human-AI collaboration in creative endeavors.
If human artists were more forthcoming about revealing their sources of inspiration, the Art world would undoubtedly become a more harmonious environment.
I encourage you to seize every opportunity to interact with AI — through text, chat, and Art — so you can witness firsthand the potential it holds. AI is not our adversary; instead, ignorance and fear are the true foes. Embrace the challenge of experimenting with novel experiences, and you’ll uncover a vast array of possibilities awaiting your exploration.