Is AI becoming the new Artist?
It is becoming increasingly common for artificial intelligence to be utilized to generate images, compose music, and imitate human voices. This raises a question: can so-called AI truly create or only replicate creativity? Programs like DeepAI and other AI art generators are being used more and more and their creations are increasingly seen on social media and in galleries and are now prominent in the discussion driven by artists and critics. While some regard AI as a tool and, thus, more art accessible to individuals who might not otherwise have created art, others believe that AI can merely imitate the art, lacking any original intention and human experiences which are needed for meaning in real art. AI can mirror the look of the artwork, but often it cannot produce the emotional impact, sensory immersion, and cultural referentiality that is demonstrated with the intention of a human. If AI is going to change he face of the future of art and design in ways we may not envision, then we might wonder: among the other questions we think about, can AI make work that is not just visually compelling but contains emotional meaning?
Artificial intelligence has already become a powerful tool in creative industries such as graphic design, music production, social media sites, and even interior design. AI programs like Deep AI, CapCut AI, and Room GPT can create anything based on a text prompt within seconds. The AI tools draw upon previous images and patterns that have been created, which leads to them creating outcomes that are similar to human created creations. In the creative world, AI is highly used due to its time efficiency, reducing errors, and its ability to create an infinite amount of ideas. However, as AI is very commonly used in creative processes, it is going to have a difficult time creating any truly original works and therefore lacks value in the arts. The use of AI is gaining attention and starting a conversation on how the role of human creativity will be impacted. Will technology truly replace the emotional and cultural criteria we see today as meaningful art?
Vincent Van Gogh, Wheatfield With a Reaper, September, 1889. VS. AI generated image
A major reason why AI generated art does not have true artistic significance is its lack of emotional and cultural/contextual depth. Artists make art based on their own experiences, memories, or feelings; this is not something that AI can replicate. Although artists and designers make decisions about elements of exposure, like color or cultural symbols, the basis for these choices is the emotional meaning, memories, or experiences of the artist and designer. AI is created by examining data, which it interprets patterns; there’s no way for the AI to understand these meanings. AI can replicate aesthetic choices it finds in training data or even sampling data (where it draws on prior made choices), but it doesn’t comprehend or intend what it does. The AI can generate a yellow painting in the tradition of Van Gogh, but it has no experience of the lived experiences that motivated Van Gogh to paint. Similarly, while an AI based interior design tool like Room GPT can produce great layouts based on function and trends, it is lacking the empathy and complication required to design for real people who have their own preferences.
Another factor is composition and originality. In traditional art forms, the artist’s voice is often a core element of how we establish the meaning of the object. AI may blur the lines as to who the “artist” is—the one who prompted making the image, the programmers of the model prompting before, or the AI itself. These distinctions call into question traditional ideas of creativity, intent, and ownership. AI art is also primarily copied, as the model learns from previous images or datasets to make an alternative, and it will be limited in the sense of being able to describe something that has not existed before. In addition, AI-generated pieces bring up ethical concerns as they may have copied a style or taken from an artist’s previously created work without authorization or compensation. The ethical concerns show that while AI may provide assistance in creativity or the representations of it, AI will never be able to duplicate the unique human attributes of the art-making process that give art meaningful and original, such as empathy, imagination, and identity.
Some claim that AI-generated creations are “actually” art since there is still human agency involved. After all, someone still needs to prompt, select, and guide the AI’s output. Some would argue that guidance is also a type of creativity. Proponents of AI art are correct in saying that these tools are democratizing art and helping non-artists express themselves visually, some with technical skill that they do not possess. While this argument is sound, it overlooks a pivotal shift in ideas about ‘art’; intention and emotionality matter. Typing a prompt in a program is not the same as creating something in contemplation of personal experience, emotional nuance or cultural understanding. The AI does not understand why it is making choices—it is simply pattern making. Even with an idea in mind, the final output is still mediated by a machine devoid of affect or emotional awareness. Accessibility is important, don’t get me wrong, but it should not redefine what art is. It may not be struck in the same ‘meaning/significance/action’ of ‘real’ art, either. Real art requires more than simply ‘output’. Real art requires meaning, authorship and intent. Without these elements, created AI ‘art’, while appearing creative, is not actually creative.
AI created image
As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly prominent component of the creative process, one must ask what art actually is. AI tools create stunning images and even assist humans in the creative process, but no matter how they spin out end products, they lack the emotional connection, personal context, and cultural participatory essence that humans realize in art. Maybe they can create images that appear to be art, but they don’t mean it in even a simple way. Without the depth of intent and understanding—the soul—there is no power and no representation of our living history! as we continue to navigate the art of design blending with technology, lets not lose sight of the distinction between AI supporting our creative purposes, view human creativity not as a process that AI can someday replace! Real art is more than form, visual, tactile, it is an expression of our humanity. And humanity is not something that can be mimicked by a machine!