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One of my hobbies is painting and drawing. However, the process of thinking about what to make takes me long a long time. Most of the times it even prevents me from starting. The same thing happened this week, but this occasion I thought of the blog post assignment.

I tried using Microsoft Bing’s Image creator to generate images for inspiration on what to draw or paint. In the examples displayed on the homepage where images ranging from an astronaut surfing on the moon, with the earth in the background. To a pop art inspired refreshing glass of lemonade, in pop art style.

When I attempted it myself, it was hard at first to think about the prompt to give the image creator as input, because the possibilities are endless. Eventually I just started putting random objects together with a short explanation of what the image should look like. Two examples of the output it generate are: an image with, apples, doors, and flags in a colorful environment and a colorful poster, with flowers, wineglasses, in a living room in retro style.

The Impact of AI on Art Industry 

AI can also be used for idea generation or prototyping for not just only hobbyists like me, but also real artists. Which may enhance artists expression, because AI is able to create something that is not bounded by limitations of human perception. However, the use of AI also raises many questions about authorship and creativity. For example, who should be mentioned as the creator, the artist that used an AI system, the system itself or the machine used. It is also important to keep in mind the inherent biases and stereotypes in AI. Which may lead to culturally inappropriate work.

Even though the use of Image Creator felt like a harmless fun activity, just like any other industry that AI is emerging there are benefits, but certainly also negative sides. Which need to be carefully considered before the applications of AI in the art industry become more impactful. 

Reference

Anastasia. (2023). The influence of AI in the art world. .ART. https://art.art/blog/the-influence-of-ai-in-the-art-world

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One such remarkable innovation is the use of generative AI tools to convert text into speech. An example for a company that uses this technique is Eleven Labs. It uses an algorithm that analyses the conceptual aspects in a text. Looking for emotions, to enable the system to get the writers sentiment. Which will lead to a more humanlike sound. It has a voice library with unique voice profiles, that can also be create with their Voice Design Tool. Voice profiles can also be generated with a short voice sample. This means you can generate your own voice too.

I tried this for myself with a short sound sample. Now I could type in any text and make my own voice say it. For me it sounded a bit strange, and I felt like you could hear a bit of a robotic sound. However, for me it is always weird to hear my own voice in a recording or video. I tried sending a voice message to my mother and she did not mention anything and just responded how she normally would.

The fact that this technology is at such high quality already is only going to improve even more makes for a lot of opportunities. Practical applications of Eleven Labs are for example audiobook production, voice assistants or podcast production.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

While generative AI for text-to-speech offers multiple benefits, it also raises important ethical concerns. Issues related to privacy, misuse of technology, and the potential for deepfake audio are topics that need to be  careful discussed. Immediately after the Dutch language was introduced on Eleven Labs, people like the king’s and prime minister’s voices were cloned. When used in the wrong way, the use of Eleven Labs could be harmful. Especially when not, everyone is up to speed on these possibilities and will just believe everything these created voices say.