Professional Artists' Reaction to AI art

There's been a lot of conversation in the last few months about AI art and I've been thinking about what it means for us as artists. So I decided to make a video where I weigh up the threats of this technology but also where it could be used to improve our artistic process.

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Sources:

New York Times:

Maria Pidelaserra:

New Zealand Herald:

BBC:

Benny Productions:

Vox:

Last Week Tonight: ​​

Cleo Abram:

Phil Edwards:

Rob Harris:

[khushvendrasingh]

"it feels like something what makes us special is lost" literally defines the whole thing

[oilonpaper]

Maybe it'll take time to come full circle on this, eventually we will. We are able to make perfect furniture and decor items by mass production, but what we now really appreciate are hand-crafted items. Photography + Photoshop never fully replaced painting and drawing. Prints are never as exciting as the original piece. The story of the artist is and will be what people connect to, and knowing about the individual who made the art will become more and more important. What would you connect to with A.I.?

[HalkerVeil]

As far as careers go, companies don't care how we make art. They want it done fast, and done well.
Traditional artists gain a selling feature out of it. People who buy art for the artist will seek out proof that it was made by hand.
People who buy for the pretty picture, never buy from artists. They just download a picture and have it printed for cheap.

[hosamanimanjunatha]

Technology are keep changing....but the traditional things never gone change forever from a artist like fan🙏🙏 keep going 🥰🥰🥰

[carolinependleton]

Your art work is amazing and I am sure there will always be a need for it.I remember when the kindle became very popular, but it appears people are still buying more books than ever.I think there is nothing better than an original hand drawn or painted piece of artwork, especially for collectors.

[rafisarhan]

I remember reading a book predicting the future of AI and the author thought when everything becomes automated the only thing the humans can do would be creative work but it looks like thats the very first thing that we are going to lose.

[arrashishiv]

I believe that AI "art" may as well be one of the biggest cultural catastrophe we ever suffered as humans. I think that majority of people still see it as amusing toy/great tool and don't realise what consequences we will suffer in years/decades to come.

[DrBrunoRecipes]

Excellent 👌🏻 Greetings from Scotland 😊 Have a great day everyone 🌻

[jaxonfordham]

I think there will ALWAYS be a place for hand drawn work. We all want to connect to one another. Personal, intimate work is valuable to us as species who relies on how we emotionally connect with one another.

[kalilavalezina]

I’ve dabbled with MidJourney. It was fun and interesting but ultimately quite hollow. Part of the beauty of art is the human handmade aspect. People will always love and respect the handmade because it is imbued with meaning and purpose just for existing.
AI art doesn’t concern me especially. I see it as a tool. What I find interesting is the intellectual property aspect of it. Essentially it is a collaboration between you, the person typing in commands; everyone who ever shared an image online and the software company, so who owns the copyright?
Very interesting times!

[MrEshah]

Through out the history of production basicly, mass production has almost always only increased the appreciation of craftsmanship and artesinal production. Where mass production is seen as an avenue of access to most and hand crafted desired by those looking for superior quality and standards. It can certainly broaden the audience for artists as an entry point to the world, and lead people, that wouldn't have been in the market otherwise, to new discoveries.

[waveart]

I think we're focusing on the wrong aspect of the whole situation, we see how beautiful an artwork made by AI is and immediately compare it to our own artwork feeling sad and depressed. The real point is not the result of the artistic process but why we do art. For me art is not the outcome of my hours-upon-hours process of creating something new, but the process itself, it's what I feel while painting, the sensations I get out of it, the satisfaction and the excitement that nothing else can give me. I don't care if a computer can create something more beautiful than mine, it's the journey that is important, not the end of it.

[platoschauvet]

i find it pretty existentially horrifying as someone who not only gets so much of the meaning in my life from not really even creating artwork but learning to create artwork and the process of learning and dedicating my life and passion to learning how to draw and create, but also as someone who thinks the individual creation of art and learning the process of creating art is so important to humanity as a whole, and it does worry me that if the arts are even less viable as careers, we will enter a real dark age wrt art and art knowledge being collectively lost when it's less valued and goes unlearned by future generations. But, that said, it's also interesting to think about and see from the perspective of it being the creation of a collective consciousness of humanity, the creator being humanity as a whole instead of just one individual, and that's scary because no one can compete with that, but in a way it's a reflection, at least potentially, a reflection of humanity as a whole as a creator.

[akaartgenerator]

Seeing how good this thing is, people will
eventually starts to advertise their job as an artist with "100% human-made skill and not software/Al generated work"

[aelion]

It's gonna effect the art industry, in a big way, especially for freelance artists, the number of art commission's has already dropped quite a lot because of ai art(for digital). But at the same time it could also be used to generate ideas and references for artists. Hmm, I feel like it will definitely have a bad impact for most artists, but it's inevitable :/. Oh and meh, so many ai artists are popping up everywhere, I feel kinda bad for artists. :/

[savannahb]

I'm just getting started in my career. Getting into galleries and shows, selling work and gaining exposure is already super competitive. AI being thrown into the mix is worrisome. I have to remind myself of the importance of my work. I'm a realist/ hyperrealist with some elements of surrealism that are often inspired by the symbols I see in my dreams. An AI cannot replicate the connection I have with the subject of my works, nor can it replicate what details I fixate on based on my perception of a real subject.

[camaslindbeck]

It’s scary, but it’s also because of its ease. Maybe if we thought of this as a humanistic collective artistic achievement, sort of a sum total of human creativity. After all, if we created AI, then it reflects us in a way and thus the images created by AI are also a reflection, although distant, of humanity and our creative visual history.

[TheGirlgoyle]

as an artist i can see the point here.. i feel it too.. but also.. there will always be a call for traditional artists.. i mean... as much as there always has been anyway.. people dont appreciate AI as much as traditional now... because it is so easy.. but at the same time it allows everyone to be able to create something they have in their head.. with skills or no skills.. but also it can be spotted from miles away now.. most can tell the diff between them.. i really think its not a big deal really.. its just another medium.. ive been a traditional artist since i was 2.. (im 51 now) and my hands are failing me (arthritis and tremors).. AI keeps me entertained and feeling creative in a way.. and can also be challenging ... altho it doesnt take a lifetime of honing our craft.. but art.. is art.. people appreciate the effort if they are true art lovers.. i dont think we have anything to worry about

[SD-mwhz]

When the power goes out and the batteries die we will still have humans imagination and abilities with a pencil and paper, these items have been around for 1000's of years. Your vision will always be needed and stand the test of time. We all appreciate hand crafted, artists visions of the world. I can buy a printed card but a heart felt handmade card is a treasure.

[tammyhernandez]

I love the process of making art old school, not computer art.At age 56 I do my art for myself and not for money.This is very freeing, for its in my sole to create an this makes my happy.AI should be its own type of art category.Your amazing and inspiring for all us human artists.🥰