The Ethics of AI Generated Art
Recently, I got into an argument on the ethics of AI art generators. Needless to say, I was not shocked at the direction the conversation went, but I was disappointed as usual at how much deference and reverence is given to ideas that cannibalize the talent and effort of others, under the guise of technological advancement and progress.
I have consistently heard the spiel that disruption is good for progress and technology should be used as a tool, that supplements rather than subtracts from the creative process. It seems the major proponents of such frame of thought, conveniently forget tools come in all shapes and sizes, some with very devastating potential others not so much. Perhaps its worth pointing out that a tool in the hand of a skilled marksman, can go from simply being a mundane object, to having destructive capabilities at the flick of a wrist.
We’ve watched as rideshare companies destroyed the taxi industry, crafted laws and policies that ended up being detrimental to workers and labor, whilst consistently losing a ton of money as they compete/scheme a way to make public transit irrelevant whilst forging a path towards a future where they become the key players for moving around in cities.
To be fair, apps and software like Canva and Photoshop have made it easy for anyone to create half decently without going to art school. But no one for instance gets on Photoshop and within minutes bangs out a Picasso. This is the danger for me behind these AI art generators. What they have done is diluted and minimized, what usually takes years to master, and commodified it into a cheap process whilst claiming they are revolutionizing the art process.
Some of the images from these AI constructs are truly breath taking. But as a guy who peruses and scours the web for interesting art, I do see the visual signatures of notable concept and graphic artists in these recreations and I know workout a doubt they weren’t compensated for their work.
I simply can’t accept that this is ethical. I also know at some point, some tech company will buy out the companies behind these apps. It’s such a cheap way to rake in money. Off the backs of artists who often times than not, do not get their due in a society that claims it loves the arts but ignores the plight of many artists.
Because of a lack of unions and the financial resources to lobby Congress. It is almost impossible to see how laws can be crafted to favor this group.
Ironically, I think these AI art generators will likely run afoul of major media corporations who can invest in the technology to screen for likely uses of their IP in derivative art works.
We are headed for interesting times ahead and one can only speculate how all of this ends. I just personally wish we thought through a lot of these decisions before exalting them as the next great thing.
