Digital Da Vincis: Exploring the AI Renaissance
AI technology is in a constant state of development, and its image recognition and generation techniques have been seen in creating art, editing photos, and recognizing art styles, movements, and art pieces. Recently, AI tools that have the capability to create digital art and edit uploaded photos to follow a particular theme, like turning photos into professional headshots, have been gaining popularity due to their presence on a variety of social media platforms — especially TikTok. The limits of art creation using image generation are endless — however, there have been controversies about whether AI generated pieces are outperforming real art.
With image generation, art has become a lot more accessible and widespread, and artists themselves have utilized this resource for inspiration in their creative process. With Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) paired with deep learning algorithms, original artworks can be created, becoming a source of inspiration for aspiring artists. Not only has image generation influenced art and design, but it has also revolutionized the photography industry through generative photo editing and creating new photographs from given photographs. AI image recognition and generation have provided technologies to transfer art styles of famous artists to newly created artworks, analyze art styles and attribute them to certain time periods or past artists, and additionally help in art restoration techniques. AI image recognition and generation have expanded the possibilities within the art field, offering an endless variety of new tools and concepts for artists, art enthusiasts, and the creative space in general.
But while AI has created novel opportunities, it has also raised important ethical and philosophical questions about the nature of art and human creativity. The rise of AI-generated art has prompted discussions on authorship, copyright, and the nature of creativity. It challenges traditional notions of art, raises questions about the role of the artist in the creative process, and brings up the most important controversy of whether what is generated is truly qualified as “art”.
This was seen especially in Colorado where an AI-generated picture by Jason M. Allen won the award for emerging digital artists at the Colorado State Fair in 2022, causing many artists to feel frustrated. Many argued that it was unfair and how anxiety-provoking it was that art created by AI could receive such a high honor above all other artists. The rising controversy has led many artists to question what is now defined as art in this modern day and age.
A similar incident occurred during a photography competition in March of this year. The artist, Boris Edlagsen, made headlines by declining a prestigious award at the World Photography Organization’s Sony World Photography Awards. The reason behind this unprecedented decision was the nature of the winning artwork itself — an AI-generated creation that challenged the very foundations of conventional artistic recognition. Boris Eldagsen, the recipient of the award for his piece titled The Electrician, pushed the boundaries of what we consider traditional art. The work, resembling an aged photograph, “was made by submitting language to an AI generator many times over. In the process, the work was altered using techniques known as inpainting, outpainting, and prompt whispering”. The award was given in March, and in April Eldagsen announced his decision to decline the award, calling for a dialogue within the photography world regarding the ever-evolving boundaries of the art form and whether AI creations belong within its scope. In response to Eldagsen’s actions and subsequent statements, the World Photography Organization expressed its discontent, citing deliberate attempts at misleading and invalidation of the warranties provided. As a result, the organization suspended its activities with Eldagsen and removed him from the competition.
Although image recognition and generation have created powerful tools for the public to feed their creativity, art generated by AI itself has been a subject of debate and discussion in the art world, with controversies related to authorship, originality, and the role of technology in creative processes. Such incidents often lead to thought-provoking conversations about the boundaries of art and the impact of AI on the art community. Despite the AI image generation’s controversy in creating artwork and while the technology is not yet perfect, it has developed greatly to encompass the creative realm but perhaps may never possess the touch that a real artist gives to their piece.
Key Points:
- AI technology, particularly in image recognition and generation, is rapidly advancing and impacting various aspects of the creative world, from art creation to photo editing.
- The limitless potential of AI in art creation has raised questions about whether AI-generated art can outperform traditional human-created art.
- AI’s influence extends beyond art and design, revolutionizing the photography industry with generative photo editing, style replication, art analysis, and restoration.
- The rise of AI-generated art has led to a range of debates within the art community. These debates encompass concerns about authorship, the authenticity of AI-generated art, and the evolving nature of art in the digital age.
- Instances like the AI-generated artwork winning a competition at the Colorado State Fair in 2022 and Boris Eldagsen’s decision to decline a prestigious photography award highlight the controversy and shifting perceptions of AI in the art world.
Further Questions to Consider:
- What is the future of AI-generated art, and how will it impact the traditional art world in the coming years?
- How can we establish guidelines or criteria to distinguish AI-generated art from human-created art?
- What are the implications for copyright and intellectual property rights in the context of AI-generated art?
- Is there a need for a new category or classification system in art competitions to accommodate AI-generated works?
- How can AI-generated art coexist with human art, and can it offer new opportunities for artists?
- To what extent can AI replicate the depth and emotion in art that is often associated with human creativity?
- What ethical and legal challenges arise when AI-generated art becomes a significant part of the art market?
Further Resources to Look Into:
- https://www.cpr.org/2023/09/06/jason-allens-ai-art-won-colorado-fair-feds-deny-copyright-protection/
- https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/ai-generated-image-world-photography-organization-contest-artist-declines-award-1234664549/
- https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/08/is-art-generated-by-artificial-intelligence-real-art/
- [Berkeley students] UGBA 39E: AI Ethics for Leaders — This course enables future leaders to understand and navigate the many decisions necessary to ethically leverage AI in professional settings, in business, government and nonprofit settings. It covers the basics of AI, relevant ethical frameworks, prominent ethical issues, and how organizations have addressed those issues previously. By the end of the course, students will be fluent in evaluating the impact of AI systems on individuals and society. They will be able to draw upon cases where leaders have been confronted with ethical issues and some of the tools that have helped resolve them.
