What is the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Producing Fine Art?
To paraphrase U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist, “I may not be able to define art, but I know it when I see it.”
AvatArt Studios uses artificial intelligence to create collections of NFTs. But is it art?
Who’s to say? How do we decide? Where’s the line between “art” and technology?
Art vs. Technology
Some might say that using a computer program to make art is “cheating”. But those same people might also object to using a Cuisinart when cooking. They might say that you can’t use a synthesizer to make “real” music. Or, that you can’t use a camera to make “real” visual art.
The opposing viewpoint is that artists are free to use whatever technology is available to express themselves. As technology advances the mediums of expression may change. But it is the aesthetic quality of the output that counts.
For example, in Michelangelo’s time painters had to make their own paints out of egg yolks and oil. They had to find and grind their own pigments. A big part of becoming an artist was learning to make your own paints.
Today, painters can buy tubes of pre-made paints. They can choose between oil paints, acrylic paints, watercolors, pastels, etc. Is this “cheating”? Does it reduce the authenticity or beauty of the resulting art? I don’t think so.
In the past 15–20 years, programs like Adobe Creative Suite have made it possible to create complex visual images using a computer. Are the resulting digital images art? I would suggest that at least some digital images qualify.
In the last 5 years, it has become possible to apply artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to digital images and photos. But are the results art?
How Digital Images Become Art
I can speak from experience about using AI to create art.
It’s not as simple as you might think. It takes a lot of study to master the technology.
And many of the results are just plain ugly.
That’s where the artist steps in. He or she applies aesthetics and judgement to the results. The artist separates the wheat from the chaff.
AI doesn’t know what is pretty and what is ugly. But an artist does. And this is the point at which AI images can become art — when the artist applies his or her creative vision.
Throughout history, artists have been making art by applying their creative judgement about what to put in and what to leave out. This is true whether the medium is visual art, music, poetry, or literature.
Sometimes artists must “lead” culture. Sometimes their creative vision and judgement are ahead of the rest of society. And sometimes artists help to create and refine the new technologies of their day.
You Know Art When You See It
You may or may not agree with the above analysis. But most people recognize art when they see it.
Just because an artist uses a technology that is new or unfamiliar doesn’t bar his work from being artistic.
One test is to observe it with your own eyes (or ears). Does it resonate with you or not? If not, remember that not everyone has the same tastes you do.
Honestly, I sometimes must force myself to remember this when I encounter the latest collection of “Bored Mutant Goblins” (or whatever). I must remind myself that some people obviously find this stuff attractive enough to buy it.
What do you think? Is it art?
