I recently stumbled upon this image representing the relationship between identity and augmented AI (Digitalindex, 2023). Initially, I was drawn to it, appreciating its aesthetic qualities and admiring its deeper meaning. However, after learning that the image was AI generated I started to feel bad for liking it. This revelation caused some conflicting emotions because, only recently, I engaged in a discussion with some friends about the essence of “real” art. We collectively concluded that only are created by humans could be considered real, reasoning that AI-generated art is based on what already exists and thus lacks originality.
Nevertheless, coming across this picture made me look at the subject in a different light. I began to see that in a sense all forms of are emerge from conceptualization – an idea that an artist materializes. Throughout history, artists have used many tools, from paintbrushes and musical instruments to modern electronic inputs. Even in the case of AI-generated art, a human provides the initial prompt, so it could be argued that the art is human made and AI was just used as a tool, much like traditional art.
Small (2023) discusses the subject of AI generated art in an article of the New York Times, mentioning how sometimes people might try to find meaning in an image that is based on just a code. In a way, AI is making us question the fundamentals that we base our reality on. The question of “what is real art” essentially compels us to question “what is real?”. My argument is that the mere discussion of AI-generated art indicates that it is art of some sort. While it may not be art as we have known, I believe it falls under the umbrella of art in some capacity.
Nonetheless, art is also deeply rooted in emotion, meaning and interaction. According to Mineo (2023) the last factor is missing in the case of AI. Mineo even suggests that the current state of AI may not even qualify as AI, especially since “intelligence assumes a certain independence and consciousness” (Mineo, 2023). This further shows how the determination of how real AI art is, is dependent on how one defines real in the first place.
I personally experimented around with beethoven.ai, a platform that makes it easy for content creators to generate background music with the help of AI. I managed to make some samples that sounded quite pleasant. Despite this I would not consider myself an artist just yet. Additionally, I explored various websites that enable users to generate images based on prompts, yielding the following results:
While I would not classify these results as art in my view, I propose that with more refined prompts (possibly from a real artist) and with a more advanced AI image generator, true art could emerge. This is because how I define real is based on functionality and usefulness. So, if an AI-generated image can evoke genuine feelings within me, then, at least in my personal perception, it can be considered real.
References:
Digitalindex. (2023). How AI is Shaping Our Personal Identity: Will It Augment or Replace Us? 🧐. Digital Index. https://www.digitalindex.ai/how-ai-is-shaping-our-personal-identity-will-it-augment-or-replace-us/
Mineo, L. (2023, August 25). Is art generated by artificial intelligence real art? Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/08/is-art-generated-by-artificial-intelligence-real-art/
Small, Z. (2023, September 26). Can David Salle teach A.I. how to create good art? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/22/arts/design/david-salle-ai.html
Very interesting post Yasmien! Also very relevant question to ask if AI can create art or not, looking at its development in recent months. In my opinion, AI can generate impressive visuals and music but it lack the essence of a true artistic creation, Art is something that is rooted in human experiences and emotions, something (luckily) beyond the scope of AI. So while AI may produce intriguing outputs like the once you created, it does not engage in the genuine, introspective act of artistic expression. For me, art remains a uniquely human endeavour largely about emotions and self-expression.