A.I. rant and other bits of ideas
an apology (by the archaic definition)
You may have noticed that I often use A.I. generated images to enhance my posts. I do this for many reasons and here’s my reply to naysayers.
A.I. makes some badass shit. It makes some dumb shit too1. Results are largely dependent on human inputs, and people’s opinion of what qualifies as badass is subjective (as it has ever been).
Most people who are against A.I. art pieces do not understand how A.I. works and creates. It’s not “copying” another’s work. It’s an algorithm that analyzed/glanced/studied in a student-ish way lots and lots of visual information, the same way you or I would if we were to peruse books, the internet, or a museum etc. Based on these studies, rules were created that describe aspects of that visual information (or rather human programmers created these rules), and in doing so they create an A.I. program capable of creating new things using these parameters.
It’s a tool. It’s not copying. It’s learning, and truly it seems to me that most artists who get sooo pissed about it are just butthurt that A.I. does a better job than they can do themselves2. Nothing is stopping real human artists from continuing to create amazing art, but many are too busy whining about A.I. to notice that the creation of such has no effect on their ability to make product themselves. Check yo ego.“But TC, how can it be anything worthwhile if it is just all made up of stuff that came before?” All art is derivative of what preceded it. Such is the nature of time. Evolution happens. Indeed, the entire universe is entirely made up of stuff that came before. Star stuff. Words, words, words.
“But TC, what about all the artists who can’t get work because technology is taking their jobs!?!” Basic harsh truth? Adapt. News Flash! Technology is coming for ALL our jobs. Futurists have talked about this for years. Society will HAVE to adapt to these changes because 1. there are too many of us on this planet to NOT have automation for production, and 2. That technology will put a LOT of us out of work. 3. What will we do with our time to make our lives meaningful? Progress happens. Don’t be a petulant buggy whip maker.
This doesn’t have to suck. In fact, it can be quite awesome if we modify our society to work with developing tech instead of against it. With menial labor jobs done by tech, that frees a lot of us to be able to do what we REALLY want— which might be to make art (in some capacity).
4. ”But TC, current working artists already have a hard time feeding their families!” This is definitely a problem, but not a problem with A.I. This is a problem of capitalism and not providing a living wage, or more essentially BASIC INCOME for everyone!!!! If we implemented UBI for everyone it would solve all these problems (spend your time how you want— caring for your family, your pets, your garden, your community etc, minimize homelessness and poverty, and people go to bed at night with full bellies and lives full of extra extra art!!!) . Artists would be able to make their art AND pay their bills. Regular folks who used to DREAM of being able to make art, but had to take a “real”3 job (like most of us) would instead be able to contribute their art to the world as well! In a society where traditional jobs are scarcer (because of technology and automation), we can never have too many artists. More art is more better!“But TC, I didn’t dream of a world where computers do the art and people do the menial labor! That’s absurd!” Again, mostly this is a problem with capitalism and our fear of embracing the future. If A.I. can create better art than people, then I say, let’s all enjoy some A.I. art. Would I turn down a delicious meal just because it was not prepared by human hands? No! But I will have mine with a side of human art, both modern and classic. No salt, please4.
If the beef truly is plagiarism of a human artist’s work, there are laws in place to combat that. However, several artists think way too highly of their own creations and have a hard time admitting that A.I. creations exceed their capabilities. Not every artist, of course, but there are many many mediocre squared ones who would rather complain about inevitable technology rather than put in the work or study to improve their own creations. Alternatively, one can use A.I. creations, as many A.I. proponents do, to inspire them to different directions with their own works.
I haven’t seen an instance of A.I. writing better poetry than I can yet, but that day will surely come and the second it does, you bet your butthurt I will be reading and enjoying some of that shit (after I get over a bruised ego)! And I feel like I will just marvel at the wonder of A.I. and be impressed with human technology. Hopefully, I will also be inspired and work harder on my own creations.
So that’s my piece. Don’t come at me with your A.I. prejudice cause I am 1000% on board and welcoming of our Skynet overlords.
Like are you SMRT for noticing that the picture has the wrong number of fingers? Sure, buddy. Does that make you a better artist than A.I.? Verdict still out.
I mean really, have you seen the art some people are worried about A.I. stealing? It’s like that scene in Napoleon Dynamite. “It’s probably, like, the best thing I’ve ever drawn….” ROFL!
I say “real” job not cause doing art is not a completely 100% a real job. It is work. It is hard. It takes talent and skill. It is valuable and worthwhile. Some might even say the MOST worthwhile thing to living life fully human. But compared to other jobs that are required to keep society functioning, doing art seems voluntary, and is therefore seen comparatively as an indulgent luxury. All of us regular plebs envy the lucky ones who are able to truly make a career doing art. What is that quotation from John Adams? “I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.” This is the way… the goal, and I hope we continue to move in this direction.
Ok, a little salt on the meaty parts, but no cilantro for me. Not my bag.