AI: Is it art? Choose Your Fighter!

[@artonthecreek]

You had me at technologification 😊 (seriously-I taught my phone that glorious word❤😂) We have always learned from the masters. In our time, physically going to the art museum and learning to draw or paint in the style of Cassatt, Renoir, Sargent, Van Gogh…. Copying the style of the masters to either a) discover our own style or b) expand our comfort zone is a valid way to study our craft. This isn’t copying, this is studying. My hope is that AI will always be identified as such. It’s my gut feeling that the objection to AI is that we as humans don’t want to be fooled. We want to know that what we are seeing is real. Images created by AI that are gathered from any and every work of art shared online is dangerous and scary. It’s plagiarism, plain and simple. We can’t trust it. I think that’s where the fear lies. That said, my degree is not in art; it’s in English. As an educator, plagiarism is and always has been high on my radar, whether it’s the written word, a photograph, or other visual art. I’ve seen AI programs advertised for businesses that can write anything from a business plan to a grant proposal. That offends me, but I get it. Words, like art, are out there and time is money. The internet is still a bit of the Wild West when it comes to rules, and I’ve always embraced and taught others that the internet is a 2-way street. As soon as you put things out there, you make yourself open to anything, whether it’s negative criticism or image capture. I am struck at how many people can’t see that an image is AI. It will improve, though…and maybe someday I won’t be able to tell them apart. Example: a baby rainbow peacock with kawai-style eyes. So many people have sent me that image saying how cute it was and expressing fascination over its coloring. I’m stunned at the public’s willingness to believe what they see! Have you ever seen or heard of a baby rainbow peacock with cartoon eyes? NO! Because they don’t exist. It is my hope that we, as artists, can continue to be critical thinkers. Using our brains to physically create art or the written word will always be a more complete part of the experience of being human than experiencing art through AI. Thanks so much for this discussion!❤❤❤❤

[@SandyAllnock1]

Critical thinking is a lost skill! It's shocking how many people share things not knowing it's faked. There was a royal family photo shared a while back and I think the princess was playing with AI - there were too many weird things in how hands and arms appeared and disappeared! But the only press release they put out said she was playing in Photoshop. To manipulate a family photo like that you'd have to have decades of professional skills developed, but AI? Poof. They'll mess up any photo for ya. LOL I agree copying masters is fine when you're learning - absolutely. I have no problem with digital art, though some artists still have a beef with it. But dang it you can't just type in a description and have it poop out an image and say you created it. Telling a computer what you want is just ordering your image at the drive through window.

[@artonthecreek]

@@SandyAllnock1 yes!!🙌🏼

[@MrsTiffanyGrey]

If someone asks for "make me a painting where the person had no idea how to negative paint" then I would be in trouble. Thank you for a thoughtful discussion. ❤

[@SandyAllnock1]

Oh that just made me literally chuckle til the dogs wondered what was going on. heehee!

[@MrsTiffanyGrey]

@@SandyAllnock1 hahaha! Always a blessing to laugh! Hi to the pups!!

[@Esteban-g9h]

Love your work Sunday keep it up great words of advice❤

[@Lauraisabelgonzalezart]

I enjoyed this video on your POV regarding AI. I completely agree with you 💯 in all that you said. Probably one of the more well thought videos out here regarding this touchy subject... Thank You Sandy.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Glad you enjoyed it! I've stayed away from the topic since I haven't done a sustained deep dive into creating with AI. (I even keep turning off the generative AI options in my Adobe software! no! don't want it!)

[@BoGilmore]

Well said Sandy. 😊😊😊

[@debbieanderson550]

Thank you for bringing up this subject! My work life was all in Information Technology, and computer programming is one of the jobs that is being impacted by AI in a big way already and its scary. Some good things like AI assosted reading of Mammography data, but lots more and without very good human run QA it could be very dangerous. I also liked the remark about the creative project manager. It does take a very creative mind to problem solve in the IT and engineering fields. I think that's why so many people in tech jobs end up with creative hobbies (or 2nd careers).

[@deborahreeder7374]

Thanks, Sandy! I agree with you about AI. I would never want to own AI-generated art, but I own some of your wonderful art. Keep up the great work you do! 🥰😻

[@annbowman4392]

Thanks so much for this Sandy, I agree with you wholeheartedly and love your word technologification! I enjoy all your videos even though I only colour with pencils, your enthusiasm is inspiring and so encouraging. Bless you for all your hard work on our behalf 😊

[@cmolona7547]

i love making art and all your crumbs i loved that you used that word

[@SueSherer]

Totally awesome drawing! Love your art, Sandy. And prayers as you deal with the matters of your mother's passing.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Thank you so much :)

[@louisapdjones]

Bravo!

[@lovelydaywithholly]

I loved hearing the ways you plan to approach art in a world of AI, thank you! For me, I feel threatened by AI, not in that it will steal my art in some way, but that it will always be better than anything I could make because it’s pulling from all the amazing artists in the world that are light years above my skill level…..y’know?

[@SandyAllnock1]

I think we're going to need to get even further away from thoughts of "perfection." AI is teaching us that making something look CGI or like a photograph is the goal - when art is supposed to be our interpretation of the world around us. And the world around us looks nothing like AI creations. Celebrating real art with passion behind it is where to keep our focus :)

[@patticallihan8515]

Your video was very informative and helpful Sandie. I love your artwork and have learned so much from you over the years. Have a wonderful weekend on the Pudget Sound ❤️🌻🐿️🍂🦔🪵🍁🧡x

[@TammyLML]

Well said, Sandy 👍 I've come to really hate AI, though I'm not personally feeling threatened by it (yet, lol). What I've been seeing lately is quite a few friends using AI to glamorize themselves into looking younger, thinner, etc. It's like applying filters but more so, and I'm concerned that people - especially kids - are going to look at these images and think that they themselves are not "good enough", not pretty enough, or thin enough, or... on and on. As a kid who had a severe eating disorder, I can only imagine what this does to an unwary but maybe insecure person and I thank God it wasn't around when I was young. That said, I am 100000% onboard with an AI who will do my laundry - sign me up! 😋

[@SandyAllnock1]

It’s as though tech is conspiring to find more ways to show us how imperfect we are by making versions of us that are mashed into weird kardashians or something 🤦🏼‍♀️ And I’m hoping the laundry robots are on the way!🤣

[@susanshambrook8070]

Totally agree with you !!

[@kathykelsay8445]

This was very informative and helpful Sandy and I loved watching your process in this drawing. I know what you mean by AI being boring and looking the same in images. When I’m trying to find clip art for a newsletter, I rarely choose the AI images.

[@SandyAllnock1]

I hope that's the future of AI. That it becomes so boring it starts to feel like bad clip art, instead of something desiring attention.

[@dina_sorrenti_art]

I loved this! I’m totally with you on AI art! I also do art professionally and I do sometimes use AI but it’s strictly for generating reference images or getting inspiration. All my work is drawn by hand but I do need to work from reference images. Some are from stock photo sites and some I get from AI

[@barbarag7831]

I’m so tired already of people posting images and implying that they are art when I can clearly see that they are AI. I think artists have a better eye for this, and it’s disturbing to me that the general public is being fooled. Thanks for your video on this touchy topic.

[@lucindahughes2967]

Very interesting to hear your thoughts on AI. It is a bit frightening to think that AI can be used in so many ways to not only fool us, but to take advantage of folks. I fear that those creatives among us who are trying to make a living with their craft be in art, writing, music, or whatever will be severely impacted....and their loss will be our loss as they share their own work less. So your idea to just make more art is encouraging and wonderful. By the by, I loved watching you work on your adorable design!

[@melissazabower339]

Writing is my art form. People are using ChatGBT to create articles, essays, and even novels. My initial response is, "Why not just learn to write?" That said, I have been enjoying the pictures that pop up on IG every once in a while that are (clearly marked) AI generated images of things described in the Bible, things our human minds can't conceive. Thanks, Sandy 💛😊

[@SandyAllnock1]

There's an entire art history of people already imagining that stuff. Just not making it look like it happened in a disney movie. :)

[@katharinaparis7048]

So far I have completely refused to use AI for anything as I refuse to train it and feed .... My very little resistance which of course won't make any difference but well... Thanks for the interesting thoughts, Sandy. I love watching and listening to your videos !!!!

[@SandyAllnock1]

I honestly don't know that there's anything we can really do. Those poison apps take so much memory just to protect the art - what artist wants to spend on a high powered computer rather than art supplies?

[@newlexness]

I love your work and hope AI will never be able to take it in any way.

[@SK-me9hs]

I am only a beginner in watercolor. If anyone wants to use my art as their own I say go right ahead and enjoy.

[@RosyRosie42]

AI is for when you want something done cheap and fast. Nobody is willing to pay for true art anymore, which, like you said, is lessening the need for artists to be hired. It’s so aggravating! Now, I’ve heard of AI being a starting point for ideas and artists doing their own spin on it now that they have a general idea in their head, and there are probably some other legitimate uses for it. But in this TEMU world, we need to start training people out of “cheap” and start paying for and appreciating quality.

[@SandyAllnock1]

I hope the AI revolution will "backfire" -- and will make people crave real art. It might take a while for them to realize their senses are being dulled by this mechanical takeover of our world....

[@momo2952]

I agree that the "artificial idiot" can't do anything human 😉 It's great that you're staying true to yourself 👍

[@bonnierosendale]

Good thoughts, Sandy. The AI generated "art" I've come across is either ridiculously weird or boringly flat. What I can see being worse for artists who draw and/or paint, is photographers. That has already been exploited in so many ways, even by some who draw/paint. If AI creates something and actually gives credit to the artist(s) it steals from, well, ok, but that is a slippery slope to selling something in some way where the originator doesn't get paid. Therein lies the rub, as they say.

[@dcbandit]

As an artist, I consider AI "art" to be more of AI Generated Images than "Art". I think it has a place in the art world, and that is as a conceptual tool, something to help break artists block, and for brainstorming. So, I consider all of it unfinished and merely a suggestion of what someone wants and should only be used for as the basest of conceptual images, like the reference images you pick up off the internet as an example. Merely the picture of the bones of what you want, to be fleshed out by you. A concept image for a concept artist to build off of. Id use those images as the bones for background characters when i need to flesh scene, like a crowd scene. Generate up a crowd of generated people, and use that as a base to flesh out a small background scene for like an mall or something. Merely to brainstorm what i want to see, rather than to replace the work i need to do. Like to cut out the work that only wastes time until you can make something worthwhile. Honestly, using AI Generated Images as the finished art is like stopping at your first draft and sending it to the publisher.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Agree! There's a place for it as reference, it just seems weird when folks post that generated image and want applause.

[@dcbandit]

@@SandyAllnock1Yeah! Calling these images art is giving it too much credit. I feel there's a complete lack of creativity and imagination in just asking a machine to generate an image for you. It's fun, but a real stretch to call it art.

[@beatricenowell8207]

I understand your and the majority of the commenters views. I even agree to some extent. It's wrong use any artist's work without consent and compensation. Thus artist should be able to win suits for art in which AI didn't transform source materials to an extent not recognize as an single artist's work. We know AI art can't be copyrighted and most, if not all artists use other artist's work for inspiration/ideas. So is it unreasonable for artist to collaborate with AI software rather than become a fighter? I'd would like for you to consider and maybe even comment on a couple of issues. First, AI is inclusive. Currently, it's best used in areas such as anime, coloring books, games, etc. Most, accepted, well known portrait/character art is of people with light/white skin tones, regardless of race or ethnic group. The "flesh" color in mediums represents those skin tones. Al provides art which hasn't been the focus of traditional artist. Where traditional artist depicted members of the black race with extremely dark brown to blue black tones and unrealistic features. Due to inequality caused by poverty, people of color throughout the world greatest focus is survival rather than the hope of one's art increasing in value during their life time (if they are able to secure traditional training). Current tutorials show four to five light/white skin tones, while providing one dark skin to represent hundreds of dark skin colors. Example: KZbin content "Every Pro ARTIST NEEDS THIS SKIN Color CHART!" by Ece Gurler Art. This isn't a bad artist. A search brings up many artist showing the similar content. Over the last year, AI art showing human characteristics which look close to accurate in color, texture, and features of humans and animated characters has appeared in many areas. It hasn't taken work from traditional artist since this isn't their genre, but it has filled a much needed gap in the art community. Second, AI is simply technology when all is said and done. I started my Air Force career as a telephone switch board operator, moving wired plugs from one hole to another on something that looked similar to a peg board. This was in support of calls outside the U.S. This system had numerous flaws, most due to human error. That system was updated to one using computer code approximately six months later. Workers were concerned about losing jobs, but the code was simpler, faster, more accurate, and more secure in completing the task. The same is true for most manual tasks. AI art has numerous issues currently; too many or few flanges and limbs, body parts drawn/placed incorrectly or through inappropriate areas, in-cohesive backgrounds to the foreground, just to name a few. However in a fairly short time, AI will improve. Many artist are currently using graphics editor programs or other digital art technology to enhance or preserve their work. New media artists use their skills to improve AI generated art. Writers do the same when using a program such as grammerly's AI assistant create a document.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Some great points in here! I'm not ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But til we get some regulation of AI (haha that ain't coming from the non-tech leaders we keep electing) I'm not certain where it'll go in the future. Most tech takes dark turns into exploitation (see all the data theft and manipulation of big tech) - only put on slight pause by EU regulation. So I don't have a lot of trust that they'll go in a direction that'll help respect the artists that undergird AI. As one who's always promoted diversity in my art, I agree the lack of it across the board is a huge problem. I just see the artist community as the ones who need to bring that to their work, rather than trying to solve it with tech. There are a number of Black artists I follow who are gaining in popularity with their stunning work, and I hope that continues. When you speak of working with AI instead of fighting it, are you talking about letting AI make the coloring books instead of people? Aside from coloring book artists not always drawing line work with the right features - isn't it up to the one coloring the picture to add the diversity of color? Or are you seeing the generated images as the finished art the partnership with AI to end with?

[@lisalou408]

Interesting topic today. It reminded me of the Johnny Depp trail when they had a photo shop expert (I think that was what he was) explain how he could trace when and where an original image was taken. Find the original date stamp, when it was altered and how many times. I think AI will always be around and will get even better in the art world as the technology improves. Hopefully at some point it will be easier to track down the sources (original artists) for the images so they can get credit for their work.

[@SandyAllnock1]

I hope that becomes the case, but with the way AI flattens out data into an "average" -- so it tries to be all things to as many people as possible -- it could just end up making everything really boring. Or else will train us to like boring? I dunno.

[@ilonavandertang-vos2198]

Just the part 'it's stolen art' is enough for me to stay away from AI!

[@SandyAllnock1]

That's a reason I don't use it as well. Though my friend who built his own model intrigues me, he's got a model just on his computer, not connected to anything (so no one can steal it) and he's just having a blast making his own drawings come to life. But I have a wussy computer. LOL

[@ilonavandertang-vos2198]

​@@SandyAllnock1 I know... There is that thin line and when is it maybe okay and when not... i do have very interesting conversations with my daughter about that... she studies art, culture and media at university. So they talk about it a lot in their study. They do agree it is steeling.. (sorry for my English, I'm from the Netherlands...)