AI Art Generation: Why the Controversy? 2023
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly-emerging technology that has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives. From medical diagnoses to automated customer service agents, AI has the ability to automate complex tasks and make them easier to complete. One of the most interesting applications of the emerging AI technologies is AI art generation. However, despite its potential, AI-generated art and images have also been subject to intense debate and controversy. In this blog post, we will explore some of the reasons why AI art and images have become so controversial.
AI Can Generate Human-Like Art & Images
One of the main controversies surrounding AI art and images comes from the fact that machines can generate items which look similar to or exceed works created by human artists. This raises questions about copyright and whether an artist should be credited when their work is partially or completely generated by a computer program. Since AI art is created by a computer program, it is unclear who should be credited as the artist.
There are also questions of whether AI art should be considered “original” or “copied” from existing works. These AI programs typically work by compiling data from existing art, and then use that knowledge to generate something “new” based on descriptions given. DALL-E 2, an AI art generator, can create images using the styles and themes of existing art pieces. To some people, this can be seen as plagiarism while to others, it is just a creative spin to a popular work of art.
There is fear that using machine learning algorithms might enable companies or individuals to replicate existing artwork without attributing credit or providing monetary compensation for it—a concern which has already been seen in music copyright issues related to software.
Displaced Creative Jobs
Another major issue raised by artificial intelligence art is job displacement; specifically, some worry that the emergence of AI-generated works could lead to a decrease in demand for skilled human artists who are not able to compete with machines in terms of cost or speed. The creative economy has greatly benefited artists and designers in recent times by providing opportunities for them to leverage their skills in the form of art commissions and graphic designing projects.
It is believed that AI art programs will now occupy the creative spaces displacing and undercutting actual human artists. We have already seen an instance where AI generated art successfully competed in and won the Colorado State Fair’s Art Competition in 2022. The news of this event was received with mixed feelings, angering many who believed it to be the end of artistry, while others saw it as an opportunity to enhance the creative process.
Human artists will now face stiff competition from AI art generators since they are able to cheaply create the highest quality of art possible, in a matter of minutes by simply entering a couple lines of texts. Human artists may now find it difficult to earn as much as they used to exercising their craft. But, as a consumer and a fan of art, this is a wonderful development that will lower the barrier of entry for art while also increasing people’s appreciation for visual creativity.
Noteworthy AI Art and Image Programs
Dall-E 2
This is the latest version of OpenAI’s neural network designed to create art from text inputs. This AI art generator is able to produce a wide variety of images from 3D to traditional art styles like realism and romanticism. Dall-E 2 offers users limited free credits that refill each month encouraging anyone to bring their imagination to life.
Jasper Art
This is the new feature of Jasper.ai that specializes in generating art and images with the help of artificial intelligence. The art generator is still in the beta phase so users can expect it to improve overtime. In order to get Jasper art, users will have to pay an additional $20 per month separate from the general AI copywriting features.
Midjourney
Midjourney is the AI art generator that was the main subject of the Colorado fair art competition controversy. It became available in back in July 2022 allowing users to generate 4 image variations from text prompts submitted. As a user you will be able to select 1 of the image variations to get a high resolution result or further experiment with the 4 images for more.
A limited free version is available on the Midjourney discord server, it is open for anyone to try.
Starry AI
Stary AI is an AI art generation tool used to create high quality art with the few clicks of a button. It is designed to help users create beautiful and unique art pieces quickly and easily. Stary AI uses a deep learning algorithm to generate art based on the user’s preferences. It also allows users to customize their art by adjusting the color palette, brush stroke size and more.
The AI art generator app makes use of two AI models, Altair and Orion. Altair uses VQGAN-CLIP model to generate images while Orion makes use of CLIP-Guided Diffusion for art generation.
Nightcafe
Nightcafe is another art generator used to easily create AI art from text inputs. This art generator is equipped with a number of art styles that can be added to the works of art created making them more visually appealing. Its website has a simple and easy to use interface that makes it easy to navigate the platform and create art.
How Can We Move Past The Controversy?
The debate surrounding AI-generated artworks is unlikely to disappear any time soon; however, there are ways we can move towards a more positive future for all interested parties. Using AI art allows for greater experimentation with different styles and approaches than traditional art methods. These new and advanced AI tools pushes the boundaries of creativity and imagination, and can provide artists with a proof of concept for any idea they may have floating around. AI art and image generators also allow anyone, regardless of their artistic skills, to have a visual expression of their imagination.
On the other hand, critics of AI worry that AI technologies could eventually replace human artistic expression entirely. Jeopardizing the livelihood of many artists as a result and collapsing the creative economy that has grown so much over the past couple of years. The introduction of new technology will always cause a panic in the industry it sets to disrupt, but overtime methods can be implemented to reduce the undertone of negativity surrounding it.
For starters, there needs to be greater transparency around how artificial intelligence models are made. If users understand what is happening behind the scenes, they can better assess whether a given work was truly inspired by creative thinking or simply generated through an algorithm. Additionally, organizations need to develop ethical frameworks which protect both people working in creative industries (such as musicians and visual artists) and those who generate works through algorithms—ensuring fair compensation regardless of who produced them.
Finally, we must continue discussing these issues openly rather than shying away from difficult conversations—only then can we move past uncertainty towards real progress on this important topic.
For more discussion on how AI is taking the world by storm, you can review of other articles about different artificial intelligence tools related to copywriting and more.
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