Season 2: AI-Driven Creativity — The Next Generation of Artistry — AI.S.A.M
Welcome to Season 2 of our blog series, this time focusing on the captivating intersection of art and artificial intelligence! This season, we venture into the realm of “AI-Driven Creativity — The Next Generation of Artistry”.
Over the span of eight weeks, we will journey together into the digital canvas of today’s most innovative AI artists. Each week, we’ll explore how these digital artists push the boundaries of creativity. Join us as we delve into this fascinating exploration, and together let’s discover the future of art in the age of AI.
Artist Bio
We are excited to introduce a truly revolutionary figure in the AI art world: AI.S.A.M. London-based and vision-driven, AI.S.A.M. is not only a remarkable AI photographer, but also a concept artist and creative director whose work is nothing short of extraordinary.
His themes often gravitate towards decay, loss, and the supernatural, creating a hauntingly beautiful blend of emotion and technology. AI.S.A.M. uses AI not merely as a tool but as a lens, focusing on challenging our understanding of what is real and artificial, what is tangible and ethereal.
Each piece of his art breaks the mold of traditional practices, instead pushing the boundaries of what we perceive to be possible with technology. His work transcends the limitations of the conventional, giving us a glimpse into an uncanny world where the lines blur between the human and artificial, the past and the future, the real and the surreal.
Join us as we dive deeper into AI.S.A.M’s intriguing and provoking world, exploring how he is sculpting the landscape of AI-driven art.
What are you seeing with the current generation of AI tools for video?
Well, I’ve just released an AI video advert for CitizenM; it was a fun experiment because I was able to lean into the AI ‘jankiness’. A close client of mine was like, “you know this is going to look like a horror movie right?” I get that a lot!
I also use Runway Gen2 — I find this tool to be a bit faster or accurate. For instance, with background removal. I think Ebysnth, which allows you to style transfer, is really cool.
I’m looking forward to Adobe’s video offerings because the Photoshop AI stuff they have going now is actually really good. I think we are a few years away from true latent photo-real video, but the AI landscape changes so quickly — I could be really wrong! Not exactly video but its going to interesting is when we can get AI running in real time and I’ve seen hints of it appearing online. AR with an AI generated overlay is going to be crazy!
Any advice to artists on how to think about this accelerating change created by AI tools?
Honestly, this is a hard one. For new artists, it’s gonna be tough, no two ways about it. Every change isn’t a death sentence, though; they said photography would kill painting, digital would kill film, and of course, that didn’t happen. If anything, it made them all more precious and interesting. Look at what happened to painting in the 20th century.
Each tech leap jostles the creative world and it needed it, I was getting bored, and I think there’s room for all creative practices, old and new. Obviously, this is going to change some people’s livelihoods, though, and I do feel for those people. I remember when camera phones killed off a lot of photographers. My advice would be to see the writing on the wall. I saw it, changed and adapted, and I’m a better creative and artist for it.
My last bit of advice would be: don’t fall into the trap of thinking AI is this one-stop shop of creativity where you just have to type in a few words, and you’re golden. Its an art like anything else; you’ve got to churn out tons of it to get good at it. I get people hitting me up, asking how to do this or that after trying like five images. I’ve made 20k images in Midjourney alone. You’ve got to put the work in and expand your practice.
How do you incorporate artificial intelligence into your artistic process? What inspired you to explore this intersection between art and technology?
Artificial Intelligence is the core of my artistic process. I call myself an AI photographer mainly. I thought I invented the term, but I obviously didn’t haha. I’m a nerd, right, I build my own keyboards and computers, and give myself technological challenges for fun — it’s just something I’ve always been attracted to.
Before my AI work took off, I was a 3D artist. I think the move to AI was natural for me. I’ve been talking with computers for 30 years, and they have just started talking back; I love it.
Could you provide some insight into the specific AI techniques or algorithms you employ in your artwork? How do you choose which ones to use for different projects?
90% of my work comes from Midjourney. For AI photography, it’s leagues above anything else. You can get amazing results with stable diffusion, but for the rapid stream-of-consciousness creation in my style, Midjourney wins. I use it for everything; if I want a 3D logo, I get the black and white logos from Midjourney and vectorise them then bring the into Cinema4d. I use Midjourney to make traditional matte paintings for 3D and compositing work.
I’ve been expanding recently, though. Photoshop’s AI tools are incredible for working on my Midjounrey creations. Runways text to video has been really fun, but again I’m using Midjourney to drive the style and get my prompts finessed.
In what ways does AI enhance your creative expression and push the boundaries of traditional artistic techniques? Are there any unique outcomes or artistic possibilities that AI enables for you?
I think when I started using AI in my work, I was pushing the boundaries of what is considered artistic practice. It wasn’t received well; I got messages every day telling me I’m not an artist and that what I’m making isn’t art. That’s mostly changed now, though! But yeah, I keep up with all the latest AI offerings and test my creative voice with them.
It’s the AI’s own input that makes it unique. One of the first images I made that I was really happy with are these two twin girls hugging, then in the mirror, the girls have a pig’s head. I was trying for so long to get people to stand really close together. In the end, it was “piggyback” that got them close. The AI took the pig part and put them in the mirror. It’s this part of AI that I enjoy working with the most.
What impact do you believe AI will have on the future of art? Do you see it as a complementary tool to traditional artistic practices, or do you envision a more transformative role for AI in the creative realm?
I think AI is going to change the future of everything, not just art. For me, it’s been a creative lifesaver. I was getting bogged down in all the extreme technical work in 3D. I needed something new, and I think the art world needed something new too. I’ve introduced quite a few people from lots of different backgrounds to AI image generations. It’s been amazing for directors, and writers have been able to create complementary images for their work. It’s the complementary tool; I implore any creative person to try it — I’m sure you’ll find some benefit out of it.
There’s been a lot of talk about aliens and AI recently. I don’t think, as a species, we’ve thought about what it means to be human or intelligent as much as we have until now. Just as the line between offline and online is blurring, I think the line between man/machine is going to blur too. I’m currently building some workflows that will allow me to create completely autonomous AI artists. I’m interested to see how long it takes before it’s figured out!
How do you balance the role of AI as a tool in your creative process with your own artistic vision and decision-making? Do you feel like you have full control over the final outcome, or is there an element of unpredictability in working with AI?
Yes, there’s lots of unpredictability. Coming from 3D, where every single object, light, texture and movement was a conscious decision, the move to AI was quite an adjustment. Getting what’s in my head out of the AI is the creative process in itself; I spend a lot of time on each image until the concept and artwork feels like my own.
I like the AI’s input, its like working with a super talented but stubborn junior. You send them out into the AI world, you know you want photos of the event, you look through the selects then you send them back out.
Conclusion
As we near the end of our exploration into the creative process of AI.S.A.M, it becomes clear that we are on the cusp of an intriguing artistic frontier. Through his unique fusion of technology, creativity, and an unconventional appreciation for the quirks of AI, AI.S.A.M pushes the boundaries of what we consider traditional art.
By utilizing powerful tools like Midjourney, Photoshop AI, and Runway, AI.S.A.M not only creates art but also develops a new artistic language for the digital age. His work serves as a captivating reminder that we have only scratched the surface of what is achievable when we combine art and technology.
Join us next week as we continue this captivating journey, delving deeper into the realm of AI artistry. We will uncover more aspects of this fascinating world, one AI artist at a time. In the meantime, let us draw inspiration from AI.S.A.M. and contemplate how we, too, can expand the boundaries of our own creative fields using the tools available to us. The future of art has arrived, and it remains as vibrant and unconventional as ever.
