AI Art has created concern in every corner of the art community. For some, it is just a tool to create visual renditions of random ideas; a harmless advanced doodle. I myself would try to create unheard of objects using the Midjourney bot, and it was a fun and humorous experience. For others, it is worrisome competitor. AI Art has revolutionized art theft and created unfair advantages against artists. Alongside these negatives are some positives as well. Lets dive into the pros and cons of AI Art.
PRO: Great Reference Tool (NVM *pls read edit below*)
AI art can help you when references aren't enough. Having an issue perfecting your lighting? Meticulously word the desired lighting scenario into an AI art generator. Now you have a reference to work off of instead of scouring the internet for the perfect one.
I recently had an issue creating this piece with a tricky lighting scenario. I wanted to created this beautiful rim lighting around a ballerina in a studio. Scouring pinterest for a helpful reference was getting me nowhere. Luckily, my friend made me aware of Midjourney, a popular AI Art generator. Typing "/imagine three industrial sized windows with light shining through onto a ballerina" created this four references:
This also helped me realize that I need to capture the lighting on the floor. I tend to negate basic art fundamentals. AI Art can be helpful in situations like these. If you want to give it a try, click here.
Con: Art Theft
Ai Art generator databases are fueled by tens of thousands of artists, without their permission. Because of this, there are countless AI generations of art that are unethically referenced from a previously made piece. What's worse, people can plagiarize with ease.
You may have heard of the WIP Theft situation that trended on twitter weeks ago. An artist by the name of AT had a WIP of their art stolen by Musaishh (account has since been deactivated). The thief put the WIP into an AI Art generator and posted the finished piece to claim as their own. Ai Art generator databases are fueled by tens of thousands of artists, without their permission.
Pro: Personal Projects (NVM *pls read edit below*)
Ethicality becomes less of a concern when AI Art is used for personal use only. Using it to create a phone/desktop wallpaper or spice up your notion theme is perfectly fine. Something you may want to consider is visual journaling. Here's how to start:
Pick an AI Art Generator
Write in your digital journal (Notion, google docs or your software of choice)
Write a sentence into the generator that sums up your day
Paste the generation into your journal entry
Con: Overshadowing "Real" Artists
Another notable instance of AI Art controversy was when an AI art entry won the Fine Art Competition of the Colorado State Fair. The judges claim to being unaware that the submission was created by an AI, but did not disqualify the contestant. It is generally agreed that someone "typing and retyping sentences" should not have won a competition over artists who created an original work. The fear that AI art would replace real artists was heightened by this event. You can read more about it here.
AI Art is tricky. The tool on its own was an inevitability in this technological era. The era of AI and automation. Unfortunately, this tool has also become the bane of the art community. It can a tool, but one that needs to be handled with extreme caution. It has the potential to change everything.
What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments below. Please remember to be respectful!
Edit: 12/10 After some emails and researching more about AI art, we no longer support AI art with its current inability to protect artists. Yes, even the pros that are listed only for personal use but the generators themselves take art from artists without consent in order to create the finished artwork so we retract all pros on this page and do not condone AI art in its current state.
DISCLAIMER: We're not making a case for AI art but just listing some information about it, both good and bad. However, I personally believe AI art creations shouldn't be welcomed in galleries, competitions, professional or any public settings. I also don't like that there are people sourcing artists in AI art. It is 100% stealing as those artist spent years to craft their skill and style. This is why our pros are specifically only for personal use.