AI Art is Unnerving
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Artists online have a wealth of concerns about how these new programs are being used.
This first prompt was for a fantasy game concept. At first glance you may not even be able to tell that it’s generated. AI Art “learns” from existing ideas to sort of cobble together an output. For that reason, it’s been said that an artist with a novel idea will always have value. That artists shouldn’t be too “alarmist” about this emerging technology.
The next prompt however is where things got really eerie.
If you can’t tell what’s going on here, the AI did more than just produce a few paintings. It also clumsily integrated a software User Interface into each output.
Digital artists use software like Photoshop, Illustrator and others to produce their work. To show their process, they may screenshot or livestream their artwork with a group. The AI in this output here appears to be replicating this practice, by mimicking projects that are still in progress. Copying work before it even finishes.
Some artists have expressed concern about their work being casually mimicked or stolen by bad actors. In one interview with Business Insider, Polish artist Greg Rutkowski discussed his work being copied in thousands of AI reproductions.
“I feel like something’s happening that I can’t control…My name is being used a lot to generate AI images, along with the names of other working artists. People are pretending to be me. I’m very concerned about it; it seems unethical.”¹
The article also discusses issues relating to copyright as an ongoing subject. Some artists are known and earn their living through their unique style and brand. AI programs are known to “train” on a specific artist’s work, sometimes without consent. The ease of reproduction and the way that original artists could be left in the dark on their own work creates unfair circumstances.
It can already be difficult enough for some burgeoning talent to put their work out there and compete with actual people. Any profession can take years of training or practice to get into. With these technologies, and legal discussions ongoing, the future of creative practice becomes more uncertain…
[1] Nolan, Beatrice. “AI Image Generators Can Make Copycat Images in Seconds.” Business Insider. Oct. 17, 2022. https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-image-generators-artists-copying-style-thousands-images-2022-10
