Brushstrokes vs. Code: How Contemporary Artists Compete with AI
AI is here, for better or for worse.
However, while there are little to no complaints about how AI is helping automate menial or mechanical tasks, the subject of AI “art” is highly contentious.
Can we even consider AI-generated images as art? Should we?
Can Machines Be Artists?
As it stands, some studies already show that most people can’t tell the difference between AI images and human artwork. These images are made by generative AI programs like Midjourney through language learning models and analyzing pre-existing images and artworks.
So far, the discussion has mostly been about visual art, even if, for example, AI has already been used in music composition for movies. But how long until we see AI-generated short stories? Or videos? Or even entire films?
In ChatGPT, one can already tell the program to write them a short story or a poem. And regardless of its actual aesthetic value, the resulting text is readable, coherent, and clearly follows literary conventions.
So, does that make it art? And consequently, should those who create images with generative AI be considered artists?
Defining Art in the Age of AI
Well, to start, there is no consensus definition of art. There never has been, and perhaps that’s for the better. To define art is to limit what it is and what it can be, constricting creativity and imagination altogether.
Ethical Concerns and Originality in AI-Generated Art
Those who think AI art is not art emphasize that behind the artwork must be skill, intentionality, and expression in its pursuit of aesthetics and meaning.
There is also no originality; instead, the work of human artists is drawn from it. In fact, many artists claim that AI companies are stealing their work as they use them to train their AI. A group of more than 4,700 artists have already filed a lawsuit against these AI companies.
Therefore, AI itself cannot be an artist—it’s inanimate and unconscious. The people who use AI to create their work cannot call themselves artists because they don’t actually perform the labor of the creative process. However, those who consider AI images art say that there is an art to crafting a prompt.
A Historical Perspective
The involvement of technology in producing art has always been contentious since that technology was first introduced, and we have since considered the manipulation of such technology as valid artistry (photography, digital art, Photoshop, video editing, autotune, and music mixing, etc.).
So, where do we draw the line? If you can’t—or shouldn’t—define what art is, we also cannot define what it is not.
But perhaps more important than semantical debates or discussions of who or who doesn’t get to call themselves an artist is a more practical consideration: will AI replace artists? Will it get people out of jobs?
Will AI Replace Human Artists?
It’s no secret that technology has made many jobs obsolete throughout history. Graphic designers are already expressing concern, with companies using generative AI to create things like logos, posters, or video thumbnails.
Even art-adjacent endeavors, like, say, blog writing or creating YouTube videos— which many would say aren’t exactly art forms on their own but do include artistic aspects — already heavily involve AI.
Some say that AI will only fully replace the lower-skill, entry-level jobs. Jobs that require great artistic vision, something that many would agree AI does not have (or at least not yet), will not be replaced. We might see AI create logos, but movie directors or creative heads need not fear.
Collaborating with AI: A Path Forward for Artists
And so the most positive, “the truth is in the middle” sort perspective—which seems to reflect the growing trend—is that people involved in art, regardless of skill level, should probably learn how to work with AI.
The most common example is using it for more efficient idea generation or editing. This approach combines the best of both worlds: the speed of AI with the subjectivity of a human mind. Most likely, just as with past technological revolutions, those who succeed are the ones who learn to adjust and adapt.
After all, the world is only getting increasingly more digital. We’re spending swathes of our days looking at a screen, running entire businesses from a single computer, and even constantly getting at risk of having our online identity stolen. Try a VPN to avoid having your sensitive information hacked as an artist.
And just as we’ve been having the ongoing discussion about how the digitally-mediated connections we form on social media aren’t real human connections, we now need to determine if something as uniquely human such as art can be created by machines.
Finding Balance Between Human and Machine Creativity
Truth be told, volumes and volumes of books can be written about this topic. But perhaps it is too early—generative AI is only a few years old. For better or for worse, we have yet to see the scale and extent of its impact, and we have yet to see all the arguments on both, all, and any sides.
But as of now, studies show that most people still like human art better than AI-generated ones, even if they often cannot tell the difference and can’t say why. If anything, that shows that AI can’t replace human creations, at least not fully.
Perhaps this may change and perhaps it might not. The only thing we can be sure of is that it’s ultimately up to us to define what place AI ought to have in art.