Survive the AI Art Revolution

Keep in mind I don't think any revolution is happening anytime soon. Nor will AI replace art jobs anytime soon. Most people hyping this idea have no idea how these markets function or what goes into production of games and other entertainment properties.

Getting the last 5-10% of quality out of a production takes a huge effort from many people, But getting that last 1 or 2% of art quality is often what makes all the money. Wait until AI can actually do things which are valuable... that artists are actually getting paid for right now. Then it's worth having the discussion. At that point it will still be many years before something like this becomes production ready. The idea that any of this is a few years away is just clickbait right now.

If you are worried about people selling prints of AI generated art... understand there is rarely any money in those markets anyway at the bottom end. Unless an artist has a huge audience and following that loves them and their work...they are going to find it really hard to make money selling merch and prints and stickers etc.

But it might happen one day. So in this video I try to break down the factors that go into building a good career from your art. And how things like AI might play into your options down the road.

There is no step by step advice or specific suggestions for what you should do. Because that will never work when talking about the future. You need to focus on understanding the terrain and positioning yourself skill-wise. Not on following some cookie cutter path.

The future is going to optimise for people taking advantage of their inherent interests and strengths on every level. So the more you focus on what makes you work and what gets you up in the morning the more chance you will have to create systems and business which can compete with automation.

This is a fun topic! Let me know your thoughts or additional questions in the comments. I'll make some follow up videos discussing what we can learn from AI generated Art.

If you want to use AI as a reason to quit art then go for it! Happy travels!

Otherwise...

Happy Drawing!

Tim Mcburnie

[TheDrawingCodex]

The future is bright for artists who want to create their own worlds and ideas! (As I lay out towards the end of the video!)

[equalmonkey]

As a musician I can relate to this. The job of a wedding band was replaced by a DJ, and then the job of the DJ was replaced by an iPad on a stand with an open Spotify que. I am one member of an 8 piece funk band that can only play for about an hour and a half until we run out of energy and material to play whereas there are YouTube streams that play non-stop music that only requires one person at a computer to pump out. It's tough coming to grips with these technological advancements that make you feel like your art is obsolete...

[pwnomega]

I feel like no one wants anything genuine and meaningful so they lean so heavily to mass produced novelty art that AI pumps out, everyone is so depressed, hollow, and jaded people are losing appreciation for skill and dedication that things like art requires.

[liquidfrost]

If it’s any consolation to artists out there; I generally avoid ai generated images. It’s been quite easy to discern ai from human. Looking at ai images feels like I’m looking into a fever dream and I’m sure there people out there who share the same sentiment.

[straythorn]

I just discovered this video, I’ve been in a terrible place recently with feeling so useless as an artist trying to start at all in the art industry, and I’ve just felt like shit really. This video is such a nice reset to my mental state, helped me focus back into the mindset that if I pout around and complain nothings gonna happen, I gotta make stuff and take it myself

[gabudaichamuda]

So what I think needs to be done is for REAL artists to start building a parallel industry and to network with each other to create their own indie studios.

Look at what indie developers have done in the gaming industry. We can do the same for comics, for writing, and we can blow these "industries" out of the water and even completely uproot/rebuild them.

[brangald]

I believe that commercial use of AI is gonna be restricted pretty soon, in the way that you'll need to own the rights to an entire training set in order to own the rights to the output. Given that every single stock image library distributor will be throwing their lawyers towards stopping people from using an AI trained on their material without paying for it. Right now all these tech startups are trying to turn a profit as quickly as possible by training their data on currently working artists until it stops being legal, then running away with the money.

[AironyAi]

Ai techcompanies should pay the artists for using their art. Or pay the artist for using the artists name as a promp.

[AceOfSpades_]

Despite the bleak outlook a lot of artist are having right now, I actually agree with what you're saying. I'm a 3D animator currently working at a AAA gaming studio and there have been plenty of programs and new tech that has come out since I started almost a decade ago (which feels crazy to say...). When Motion capture started becoming more and more advanced there were plenty of people who panicked about the artists that specialized in keyframe animation being obsolete within a short span. The reality a few years later is that there's still a plethora of jobs out there for keyframe artists; from monsters that can't be easily replicated on motionbuilder rigs, to studios that want a stylized look that the hyper-realistic feel of mocap just doesn't work with, to even keyframing on top of motion-capture data itself. We recently got a motion capture set up ourselves and rather than animating less, it's allowed us to batch things that were tedious before and use the rest of our now free time to hit thing that were previously stretch goals. Now we've more than doubled our team size instead of shrinking.

There will always be new technology to make certain jobs less valuable, but by keeping an eye on the market and understanding your value as an artist AND a collaborator, I don't see the new trend of AI-ing everything being a completely detrimental thing. Before people ask there are also already AI influenced programs for 3D animation and rather than be scared of them I'm actually pretty excited to see where programs like "Cascadeur" can go and how I can implement them into my own workflow and keep growing as an artist.

[perochialjoe]

This seems like a pretty naive take to me. You're talking about understanding basic economics but don't really seem to consider how companies in multiple industries will eventually be given the choice of "Use an AI or pay a real person 90% more for 5% more quality." Once people start losing work to AI, they and other upcoming artists are pretty likely to flood other industries which will tank demand and very likely drive prices down into the dirt which will make art an even less viable career choice than it already is.

[fairyinblack]

When AI just started getting big I actually found it very cool. I would write there my general concept to get alternative ideas. But then I learned how the machine is trained and the shady way these companies operate and that left a very bad taste in my mouth. As someone who wants to be a concept artist I can definitely see the potential of this technology being a tool, but I refuse to use it until we figure out how to protect other artists work from being stolen.
Another thing I really dislike about AI art is that it feeds into people's need for instant gratification. There are so many people now who claim to be artists without ever putting in the work. It also exposed how little people care about us. Too much of the argument in support of AI comes off as very anti-artist and anti-human.
"Should have learned a real trade"
"Embrace it or die"
"All jobs will be lost to automation, why would yours be above that?!"
I saw all these statements in discussions. Nobody should lose their job to automation, artists aren't any different

[RSidd]

I'm on board with the fact now that it's inevitable A.I is here to stay. But my major concern is it's unethical usage by blatantly using other artists' work without any compensation to create something new.

[maroindefinitlyhuman]

What bothers me is that AI can make really good and detailed art which makes learning the skills to create something on that level feels disheartening and like a waste of time.

[btvaldivieso]

SOLID perspective on AI Art, dog! I instantly HATE it with a passion. Following various Instagram profiles, fooled to believe that they are all INSANELY UBER skilled in "AI" (I thought Adobe Illustrator) and Photoshop integrations – just to learn that it was all created with "typing" words in this "MidJourney." And, their profiles bio reads "ARTIST" and "DM for 'custom' commissions and prints." Total Insanity – Total BS! But, your video here – man, I'm telling you, you gave a great perspective – one of the best perspectives on YouTube regarding this disruption of AI Art. It's just another tool (INSANELY, UBER powerful tool) in the toolbox. Honestly, thanks for sharing it.

[stanimirgeorgiev.]

The problem is that it's not real artificial intelligence. The problem is that this is a mixer network. He goes online, takes a selection of real, live people----artists and photographers---and from them he makes his "new" images. This is the problem. If this machine was drawing it's own, then yes. But her whole "ART" is based on stealing the choices and styles from other artists. For example, you've been building your style for years. Now some fool using this AI mixer steals your unique style in seconds.
Also, you say: "just you change the direction of your target. If you were doing illustrations, change the terrain, start something else".
Then I ask:
Okay, until when we change pitches? Until they push us out of the boundaries picture's?
The truth is one and it is very simple: One way or another, this so-called "AI" makes the life of artists much more difficult and stressful. And artists already live a stressful enough life.
Second: this AI steals intellectual property, copies other people's styles, does not respect your style.
Third: The above two lead to devaluation of Arta. Any slider pusher can do the image quality you've been fighting for all your life.
The bottom line: this is not progress. It's a substitution.
Solution: Make laws about the whole thing. Laws setting limitations on all this chaos-parade and Art sodomy.

[carritohmc]

How to AI proof your career? Organize and be a part of union or collective that won't put up with having their data used to train systems made to replace them...oh wait, visual artists are some of the most abused, underpaid and undervalued professionals period. If swizz beatz found out his music was being entered into an AI program and you could make music in his "style" there would be a lawsuit quicker than you can say ASCAP. Look at what happened when they tried to do the same to programmers...a lawsuit, in fact the first and only one so far, but artists are supposed to cope and figure this out and AI proof our careers, I'm glad I switched to coding a few years ago, good luck to you all.

[dark_king]

I don't know, but if we artists start becoming programmers and make programmers' lives harder? It will be interesting.
I don't think it's a revolution either. I think it's degradation.

[VaddmaiarForneus]

dude, the problem isn`t the technology, it`s the way those companies stole billions of images (which were copyrighted) to teach it`s AI systems. The theft has already happened it isn`t about to happen.

[banjiromasati]

I say if the peaple wants to replace artist with AI, i think the artist we need to do the same, replace the writers and the musician with AI, and make our OWN BRAND WITH OUR ART. Make our own ilustrative books with no writters just uur art and AI.

[swiftpitty]

It's clear that you have nothing but good intentions, but the future really does seem fairly bleak for the working artist. The thing that makes the AI art revolution particularly pernicious is that anyone, not just artists; not just businesses, will have access to the sort of AI software that emulates and iterates upon already existing concepts to create new ones. It will get to a point where even getting a career off the ground as an artist (especially one who posts online), will be nigh impossible because any random schmuck can yoink your work and feed it to an AI, which will be able to perfectly emulate your style, and the style of any other artist in the market.

You talk about understanding how markets work, but the market incentive will always be to maximize the efficiency of output, and nobody will ever be able to keep up with something that doesn't eat, breathe, or sleep. And the scariest part is that it doesn't seem like it's too far down the pipeline. I couldn't possibly blame a young artist (Such as myself) for being totally nihilistic about the future of the craft.

And copyright laws will likely go down the drain. Sort of like a "They can't sue all of us lolol." situation.

I do, however, appreciate what you said about simply enjoying the act of creating, independent of monetary prospects. Ultra based.