Better Hexcrawls in Mythic Bastionland

I'm drawing a hexmap with the playtest version of Mythic Bastionland by my favorite TTRPG designer, Chris McDowall. I talk about how the game is designed with the exploration of the hexcrawl as a core component of play, improving upon the optional procedures of DnD 5E. I also talk about some of my thoughts around AI art and the concerns I have for preserving the ability to attribute ideas to other human beings.
EDIT: Mythic Bastionland is not using AI generated art! Huzzah!!
Map Crow Zines are back in print! www.etsy.com/s...
Chris McDowall's KZbin: / bastionland
Chris McDowall's Blog: www.bastionlan...
My Mythic Bastionland Worksheets: drive.google.c...
JP Coovert's KZbin: / jpcoovert
JP's "Making Maps" Zine: www.jpcoovert.c...
Download the MONSTROUS Preview Packet: www.thecloudcu...
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I often draw with Foam Grip Tubes from Impresa to ease my hand strain. You can buy them here: amzn.to/3KgpDXs
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Additional Music by Alex Ansaldi: www.epidemicso...

[@mapcrow]

EDIT: Mythic Bastionland is not using AI generated art! Huzzah!! I want to thank everyone in the comments for behaving themselves! We've had a few dustups, but it's been fairly manageable to deal with them. My biggest ask is that if you disagree with the video's statements about AI, that you actually engage with what I said in the video about attribution. I recognize it's much more convenient and fun to argue with the straw man you'd make me out to be, but thems the breaks. Also, if you are interested in learning why Asimov's 3 Laws written in his scifi novels are indeed not useful for the real world, here is a video about that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYGuqWahiJyZaqM&ab_channel=Computerphile

[@noreaelvago4972]

Great to see you back! I love your perception of ai art, also, the phrase "learning who the heroes of your heroe are" is gorgeous

[@mapcrow]

Thank you! So good to be making videos again!

[@Chaoclypse]

I love Chris McDowall's stuff so much, so hype for Mythic Bastionland, from what I've read (and watched from his KZbin channel) it's looking amazing. You know what else is amazing? Your videos! I've been binging them (again!) and I cannot properly express the excitement seeing this new video pop up in my feed.

[@mapcrow]

Thank you so much!! You've been in the zone, btw! Love seeing the work you've been posting!

[@Chaoclypse]

@@mapcrow aaaaaaaa thank you so much! that means a lot to me!!

[@badlad5725]

Great sidebar on the distinction between system and user! "People can do anything".

[@mapcrow]

Hell yeah! Let’s hear it for humans!!

[@PaladinHD]

I know you do a lot of design videos but I really love your character and art related videos too. Your video with the witch knight is still one of my favorite tutorials on youtube

[@mapcrow]

Thank you! Yeah, I don't find myself drawing too many characters, but I'll try to think if I have any more to say about character design. Cheers!

[@foxylovelace2679]

I like your foam pencil tubes. And I always enjoy watching you draw and make maps!

[@mapcrow]

Thank you!! I use them again in the newest video too!!

[@hasbeenwizards]

Love this exceptionally nuanced discussion of AI art, accessibility, and exploitation that you have here. These conversations are the only way we are going to make any impact on this new technology and advocating for ethical use of these tools is so so important. Love your channel and I'm super excited that you are back!

[@jackmoorhead5871]

Missed ya, Map Crow. Happy you're back.

[@mapcrow]

Thank you so much!! Glad to be back!

[@why2145]

@@mapcrow same

[@momonekufox]

That was very real, I love your perspective on AI art. I have very recently started a project to learn art for the purpose of animation, and your work it certainly an inspiration for me to improve and become an artist myself! Thank you for your work on this channel!

[@mapcrow]

Thank you for the kind words! For me, the best reason to make art is for the joy of learning and the joy of the process of making itself. I sincerely hope you find that kind of joy in your endeavors!

[@rw8147]

Love the discussion on AI art, and part of it is the passion with which you address the topic! You are definitely an educator

[@baydenwoodland1235]

So great to have you back Kyle. Your perspectives here are very reassuring for me to hear. I'm glad you are talking about this stuff, and also, still bringing your amazing and exciting attitudes to your work and to your passion for other people's work! I look forward to whatever you come up with next :)

[@Magic__7]

nice to see you back dont forget to rest in your time off

[@mapcrow]

Thank you so much! I have had plenty of time to rest and reconnect with my friends since the semester finished! Cheers!

[@trollge3712]

As a backer of the kickstarter, I'm happy to say that the preprint pdf currently has great real art in it, and theres no more placeholder ai art. Pages where the art isn't done are left as only text. Also, thank you for this video, as it helped me understand the game a lot better to see the realm creation process visually.

[@mapcrow]

Yes! I should pin a comment about that!! I am also a backer, and I’m set to do some supplemental work for this project too!

[@flibberfrogman5508]

He's back!

[@mapcrow]

Heck yeah! Look out world!! Haha!!

[@ethanbest9110]

Super glad to see you back, especially when I feel like I can really use what you're sharing with us. Nuanced conversation over this topic is incredibly difficult right now, it's too personal to so many people. It also, quickly, continues into a larger conversation on Art, labor and money that becomes uncomfortable for some. Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts and feelings on the subject.

[@mapcrow]

Thank you for watching and for the thoughtful and kind words!

[@tiffanylamb1187]

I am thrilled to see you back!

[@mapcrow]

Thank you! It’s great to be making videos again!

[@LehenArt]

It's great to see you back and better than ever! Every time I see that an artist I love is giving their opinion on AI art, I hold my breath a little. Similarly to NFTs, it's something I feel like has contributed so much to the recent fragmentation of online art communities, and I have a very difficult time understanding how any artists can support the use of generative AI in its current state - trained on unethically scraped data and poised to eliminate the already precarious jobs of human artists. It would only be viable as a neutral tool for professional artists if we didn't live under a corporate, capitalist system which prioritizes profit over quality. You put it very well when you said AI "art" is laundering the labor of the artists who have been fed into its meat grinder. It feels very much like an existential threat, or at least a threat to the economic accessibility of art as a profession.

[@mapcrow]

Thank you! And yeah, I get that "holding my breath" bit. Haha! I hope I didn't embarrass myself too much.

[@LehenArt]

@@mapcrow No, not at all! It was very validating to hear the passion in your voice when you talked about it - I always get a bit worked up when I talk to my friends/colleagues about AI, and sometimes I'm made to feel like I'm catastrophizing 😅

[@macoppy6571]

Thank you for the Google Doc. Your perspectives on AI Art are well thought out and passionately delivered.

[@ChaosMagician15]

Suddenly feeling inspired after hearing 10:00 onwards lol

[@RibbonRoulette]

Based Map Crow. So many TTRPG channels have embraced AI image generation, and I've had to unfollow so many of them. I'll thrilled by every one of your videos, and am moved by your passion. I can't wait to try and make my own hex map!

[@ichifish]

That rant was due. Preach, brother, preach.

[@QichinVODs]

I truly appreciate whenever someone manages to put all of my thoughts and emotions on why AI images are wrong into cohesive words.

[@RaVirrTheTrader]

I'm so happy to see you mention JP! You 2 have been some of my favorite channels lately, so it's great to know you guys are pals! Cheers

[@mapcrow]

Heck yeah! I love that dude! We've gotten to hang out a few times! He's so fun and cool!!

[@ZeroPhoenixTheLastBladeTheory]

Have you seen the human art mythic bastionland has now? It's super sick

[@mapcrow]

I sure have! I’ve backed the project even! Wonderful work!!

[@TheAgr08]

I just had to get that Making Maps Zine, so neat. Welcome back.

[@wafous222]

Kyle, I do agree with you about AI. I would go even further to say that It was supposed to be a tool to free people from the mundane and unfulfilling work, so they all could work on themselves, on art, and on whatever the human soul needs to be whole. Instead, we've got those exact things being stolen from humankind, leaving the human experience at bay. I hope that Fáfnir is slain before it devours us all.

[@mapcrow]

It is interesting to think about the things this could be used for, and contrast it with what moneyed interests are planning to use it for. So it goes. Can't stop me for drawing my drawings tho! Haha!

[@Big_Dai]

It's also an artistic outlet for non-artistic people.. so you can expect a lot more content, like when VHS was made available (which isn't a good comparison, but it isn't exactly the same). Artists can now use these tools to speed up the process (while manually making tweaks), while maintaining quality and lowers the cost!! Which is amazing, as you usually have to choose 2. AI has learned from people, and that will not end. Sure there's a loss of "human connection", but you can't just have a win without losing anything. I do think that people idolizing people has NEVER been good.

[@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149]

Technology in the workplace have always been claimed to reduce work for everyone and give everyone free time to do what they love. That might be a possibility of the technology, but it's basically never what happened. That's not how the market works.

[@mapcrow]

@@Big_Dai Yeah! Look on the bright side! All we lose is human connection! Haha! I suppose we fundamentally disagree.

[@SquidsEye]

@@mapcrow Think about it this way, instead of asking a great artist who inspired them, we can ask some dude about what inspired whatever mediocre prompt they came up with instead. That's just as good, right?

[@josephkrausz9557]

Thank you so much for all your content, and further, thank you for pointing out the foam tubes you use. I've been having hand pain, and this has already been helpful.

[@TMarlands]

Good to see you back!

[@mapcrow]

Thank you!! Good to be back!

[@uolfeis]

Man, that "dice roller" at 1:12 blew my mind . Definitely not AI design.

[@mapcrow]

Haha! Yeah, I have my drawing desk on a slant, so I gotta do something else for dice on camera. Haha

[@MennoNate]

Really appreciate you gently referencing ability aids in the way that you did. Great video!

[@mapcrow]

Yeah, I was starting to realize that people were just completely unaware that different people need help with stuff like holding pencils. Cheers!

[@deecap71]

Glad to have you back!

[@mapcrow]

So happy to be making videos again! Cheers!!

[@nickhoward7419]

Hey Brother! I'm so happy you're back. I had a question if that's okay. Would you be able to make your Underhack 5E avaliable to edit via PDF? I've been DMing a game for the last 6 months using your character sheets, and I'd like to add more spells, levels, and classes to it. I tried to recreate it on my own but unfortunately my skills aren't at your level haha. Honestly my players loved the simplicity of it. It's really awesome and I think if you made a video on it or made it editable others would love it also. Thanks for the inspiration to help me become a DM. It's helped my mental health so much. You're the one who helped me and my friends get into DnD. Thank you so much.

[@mapcrow]

Wonderful! I'm delighted to hear you had a good time with that little project. It's just a bunch of copy and paste into a Google Slides document, so you should be able to save a copy of the file and alter your own copy.

[@undead_mole6809]

I am very afraid to know the opinion that people I admire have about AI, I am glad to see that I agree with you 100%. McDowall is also one of my favorite RPG designers and I was quite sad to see that he was using AI generated visuals even though he said it was temporary. I think he could have used other types of images or just boxes to mark where the art should go.

[@mapcrow]

I basically agree with you, but also, I was playing around with AI stuff back when the playtest first came out too. I’m hoping the artist is announced soon, because Chris also works with kickass artists!!

[@undead_mole6809]

@@mapcrow I have no problem with it being used privately but releasing a product, even a playtest, with AI-generated images can send a problematic message. Of course, I believe in McDowall and I know that the final product will be spectacular.

[@sherizaahd]

Thanks for explaining the pencil. I figured the foam was some kind of aid for holding the pencil comfortably.

[@edwardblacklock2446]

So glad to see you back. You have been missed but it was worth the wait.

[@finalpixel224]

Glad to see ya back! Looking forward to more

[@evannyquist42]

Such a cool video! Loved your empassioned speech about AI art! Came here from Splatbook and am looking forward to seeing more! (And maybe giving that ole splatphone a ring.)

[@dennisnick5559]

I wholeheartedly agree with your perspective on AI art and the need for comprehensive laws and regulations to govern its usage. The topic is indeed multifaceted, with valid arguments and explanations from various viewpoints. In my personal experience, I have found tremendous value in utilizing an AI art tool like Midjourney for my home games. Whether it's creating portraits for NPC's, crafting homebrew magic items, or capturing stunning landscape shots, Midjourney has been an invaluable asset. While I acknowledge that there are individuals who may view this as a questionable approach to art, I firmly believe that AI art enhances the world-building process in ways that would otherwise be immensely challenging for someone like myself. As someone lacking drawing skills, the power of AI art allows me to bring my creative visions to life. It opens up possibilities and democratizes art, making it accessible to individuals who struggle to manifest their ideas visually. For a reasonable monthly fee, I can obtain a decent amount of images that closely aligns with the imagery I envision. However, it is crucial to prioritize the protection and rights of artists who may not want their art scanned or replicated without their consent. I wholeheartedly support the need for updated laws and robust safeguards to ensure that artists' creations are respected and their intellectual property rights are upheld. In summary, I find AI art to be an immensely powerful tool that enriches the creative process and makes art more accessible to individuals like myself. Nevertheless, it is essential to address the legal and ethical considerations surrounding AI art to strike a balance between fostering creativity and safeguarding the rights of artists. Love your stuff!

[@mapcrow]

I really see where you are coming from. I suppose if we had universal basic income, a better public education system that valued art experiences and its history, we could be having a different conversation about AI art.

[@dennisnick5559]

@@mapcrow Totally Agree!

[@atheistx]

Excellent script, senpai. 👍🏼

[@mapcrow]

I don’t write scripts for these. Haha

[@geoffreynelson8012]

I keep thinking "And once I have this, my completion is complete." And it keeps getting demolished. Mythic Bastionland is the newest wrecking ball to my fanstasy of Having All The Books I Need. Great video, and looking forward to MBL!!

[@mapcrow]

Ah, who wants to complete collections any way. Haha! Cheers!!

[@testingbls]

I've played around with drawing throughout my life, but have a tendency to get annoyed at my "lack of results" (impatience). Last times I've drawn, it's been after watching one of your videos, and trying to tune down my ego as much as possible, and "copy" designs from you and JP Coovert (like how you draw mountains or the inside of muddy orthogonal raised grids, like showing little rocks inside the ground). This way, I feel like I have been able to make things, which might not be fully "mine", but allowing me to focus on creating a map rather than figuring out how a little house should look. This has led to me enjoying drawing a lot more, and I don't find it stressful. Thank you.

[@mapcrow]

This is wonderful! Thank you so much for the kind words and I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying drawing more!

[@PaladinHD]

Glad you're back to uploading!

[@rodar6252]

It's good to hear your voice !

[@mapcrow]

Thank you! It's always wonderful to hear from you too!!

[@marklindsey4112]

Man, it's good to have you back.

[@mapcrow]

Thank you so so much!!

[@jimjones7980]

Glad to have you back, Kyle!

[@TheEctomancer]

I worry about the use of A.I. art as placeholders duplicating the problem of placeholder music in film making causing directors to specifically want the composer to make a song, not for the scene, but as close to the placeholder song as possible, limiting creativity.

[@mapcrow]

In this case, the final art that has been shown off for the book doesn’t seem to suffer from this. It’s turning out to be a truly gorgeous book!

[@baghouse2678]

you inspire me so much it's unreal.

[@gopro_audio]

Visual is so important. I have changed all possible text into visual worksheets. I have the same reading disability. Also typing is very hard.

[@ceranko]

Very cool thanks for the sheet!

[@B4ckup]

Love the shout outs to JP. When are we gonna get JP on the Splatbook? I'd also love to see both of you collaborate on a map. You both have such different styles. It would be very interesting.

[@Jason-96]

I have to ask... What's up with the giant hand grip around the pencil??? Edit: He explained this as soon as I posted ..

[@zeckros2680]

Nothing beats a #2 pencil.

[@why2145]

I missed you soooo much :)

[@mapcrow]

I've missed making videos! Still, I got a ton of cool opportunities that was delighted to devote myself to! Good too be back! And thank you!

[@The-skeleton-king-i9v]

when you laugh you sound like goku haha, i have been watching all of your videos as i got recommended this. and its great and has helped me alot

[@IceHaven]

Is there anywhere one could acquire the pdf of the worksheet you did this on?

[@potatolord9715]

Fun video as always

[@mapcrow]

Thank you so much!!

[@mathsalot8099]

I am not well versed in the AI art conversation, and I'm sure there are answers to my questions all over the place, but a lot of the conversation seems to be "this COULD be bad, therefore we must oppose it at every chance we get so it wont get worse!" However, I don't see AI art ever replacing artists in general. Specific artists, yes... and especially at the beginning, but in general, artists will show they are creatively valuable and the consumer base will tire of the randomly generated bs force fed to them over time. Just like animators in the 90s vehemently opposed Computer/3D animation... yes cell shaded animation went out of fashion (but it didnt disappear), and yes many animators lost their jobs, but many others pivoted into a new field, and another art form expanded into the public consciousness. I realize it's not a 1 to 1 comparison (so please dont yell at me in a response). I just think that a lot of AI arguements are strawmen or "slipery slope" that have no basis in reality. AI can NEVER replace people. Machines "stole" jobs in the industrial revolution, but that just freed up the workforce to do more creative things. Computer animation "replaced" hand-drawn animation until tablets and drawing pads really blurred that line. People create. AI and machines replicate, and that will never change. Acknowledging contributors and citing sources for the AI generated art is a GREAT point, though, and that should be a bare minimum when drawing inspiration from anything whether you are doing it by hand or by AI. As this new field expands, and as more and more creators demand citation, I believe things will generally work out for the better. Maybe that's just me being a naive optimist, but so many people are fighting so hard that they will not be ignored. Keep fighting, yes, but dont lose hope, and dont assume the worst of everyone all the time.

[@mathsalot8099]

BTW, that last sentance wasn't aimed at you, Map Crow... just in general to people who are reading my post. I belive you share my optimistic outlook generally speaking, and you do try to see the best in people.

[@Cirkux]

Great video, but can you please tell us how you really feel about AI art?

[@mapcrow]

it frick'n sucks dude. Haha

[@onesleepybeetle]

I really love how you were able to approach the ai topic in a nuanced but honest way. It was very relaxing to listen to you talk about it while drawing art with your human hands and brain!

[@mapcrow]

That’s why they call me “ole hands and brains Kyle”!! Haha!!

[@athy8763]

damn man i already subscribed holy shit i didnt know you were THIS based

[@maxducoudray]

Glad you highlighted McDowall. He’s a great designer. Sadly, AI and other technologies will replace a lot of jobs of every kind. Art is only one such category.

[@mapcrow]

Heck yeah!! I adore McDowall's design!

[@ennuiincarnate]

I absolutely love his livestreams.

[@underfire987]

Don't think so for Art, it's very apparent how soulless and lacking digital art is, you can really see the difference over time being exposed too it. Also highly illegal how it sources other peoples work and very unlikely to hold up in the courts

[@maxducoudray]

@@underfire987 But this is early days. It will get better and better.

[@mapcrow]

@@underfire987 I'll really be watching what happens with Adobe, for instance, on the legality aspect. But I really think that is a matter of time before a moneyed party figures a way to settle that issue. So that's why I wasn't talking about that aspect to much, and I also wasn't talking about how it looks. Underneath, I think the issue is the severance of credit and context, which seems inherent to the technology at this point.

[@BlairBlackart]

HES GOD DAMMM BACK HAHAHA

[@mapcrow]

Thank you! Glad to be making videos again!

[@deathbare5306]

Wow you have a highly romantic notion of art. Regardless I love what Chris is doing with Mythic Bastionland and thanks for this video!

[@mapcrow]

Haha Cheers! I’m really not sure what a practical notion of art is. Haha

[@Armaggedon185]

Imagine being able to see all whose work was used in a particular AI’s image? Imagine being able to ask AI the same questions.

[@mapcrow]

Yeah! Thing is, you can’t, by design. But there is some kick ass potential for learning that is being passed over for the shortest path to profit.

[@nicolejohntahup5901]

Can it use any setting?

[@mapcrow]

It is designed to run an Arthurian fantasy setting. You could learn from the procedures, but it's setting is baked into the generation process.

[@LunaRoseManor]

A future where illustration is automated is a dystopia. This isn't like photography or the graphics tablet, where better tools enable new forms of expression. If we don't act now, the act of creating visual art will become an act of submission as hordes of corporate locusts descend upon every original thought you have. No-one will bother. AI Art depends on the exploitation of labour and there are no excuses.

[@Managarm]

I'm a hobbyist writer myself, so I fully acknowledge your (everyone's) concerns regarding AI. But I also can't help but wonder, isn't this similar to a child growing up and superseding it's parents (on a species level)? If this AI becomes fully aware, the conversational network you mentioned would be preserved as well.

[@mapcrow]

I think it’s more constructive to talk specifically about what the technology is being built to accomplish today than shrugging my shoulders at a sci-fi narrative that doesn’t yet exist. Also, the channel computerphile is a great place to get info on the training and problems of general AI.

[@Managarm]

@@mapcrow I have worked in the AI field for a while, although I'm not one of the cracks. I agree that right now it is a tool that is being sold with too little control and too much impact. However, the field is already evolving faster than any legal body can react, so some foresight is definitely in place. I know this has a personal impact on you much more than me, so I'd be interested to hear your point of view even if it's a hypothetical scenario: if there was a truly sentient AI that could replicate any art style knowingly, would you still feel the same?

[@mapcrow]

@@Managarm I find the possibility of make a safe general AI in parody with human intelligence (or higher) unlikely with the race to market that we see happening now. But should we end up with the best possible scenario, as long as it could site its sources, and explain its creative journey, I’d be delighted. This means that not only would their data sets and training models need to be structured in a fundamentally different way than we see happening now, but they would also need to be capable of source criticism on a level that most of my college students struggle to achieve.

[@Managarm]

@@mapcrow that's a great answer, and thank you for sharing your thoughts! It's impossible to say what will happen, but the race to market plus lack of constraints is certainly dangerous. On the other hand, if we really get (super-) human AI, I'm not sure how much any safety measures we take could steer it. It's reminiscent of Asimov's laws of robotics - they ultimately must falter. My hope is that this kind of AI (and us) could find meaning in coexistence.

[@thecadaver]

What really upsets me about the AI takeover is the people saying that opponents want to gatekeep art, or stop people making art. I don't think there's anything artists want more than to see everyone making art! I get that it's hard to start when you haven't built up those skills (I'm currently on day 59 of a 60 day portrait a day challenge to teach myself how to draw people and oh boy were the first 30 days rough) but it's just so sad to see people think that just because they can't instantly spit out photorealism that they can't make art

[@mapcrow]

Yeah that criticism is really weak. Artists have now power gatekeep anything haha. That’s just plain old not what that word means. It seems like an attempt to change the subject of the conversation to something they would rather argue than the facts of how the tech actually operates. Hah

[@tradtke101]

You say that AI is a tool of the big corporations. But I think it helps the little guy a lot more, as demonstrated in your friend's indie game. Economies of scale: Hasbro can drop a $500k on art for a DnD splatbook because they know they'll sell 5 million copies at a minimum. Indie designers are often working on a shoestring budget and AI art is a gamechanger for them. I'm not commenting on the ethics, just saying that the "it's the corporations, man" seems like a weak argument at this stage of things. Maybe that will change, but the current state absolutely is a boon to the little guy

[@mapcrow]

Look at who is Developing this technology. It’s Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Adobe. Stable Diffusion is funded with millions by venture capitalists, even though it’s open source. Follow the money. Engage with who is really shaping head tools.

[@tradtke101]

@@mapcrow Microsoft, who put all the Mom and Pop OS developers out on the street? Google, who put all the corner search engine shops out of business? You've basically named the handful of large tech companies who have generally behaved pretty ethically by the standards of modern capitalism. If Google wanted to play kingmaker and consolidate the internet the way Time Warner does, the world would be very different. And I don't think Microsoft's anticompetitive practices towards Netscape or McAfee are particularly bad in the grand scheme compared to the millions of small businesses that were built on their software platforms with nothing more than a $100 copy of windows. And Bill Gates happens to be the biggest philanthropist in history. Now if you mentioned Elon, who has gone off the deep end with egomania in recent years, I would be amenable to that argument. I have no doubt he'd forcibly install NeuroLinks in all our brains just to make us perceive his hairline as 1/4 inch further down his head, lmao.

[@mapcrow]

@@tradtke101 ​ I was naming the corporations that are spending money on AI research, not a random assortment companies that I've heard of. Amazon doesn't have a great track record with treating their warehouse employees well, and also rushes buggy software to market. Bing's AI will straight up lie to you and then insult you to try to get you to agree with it because Mircrosoft rushed it to beat Google to the market. Adobe has opened themselves up to litigation for repurposing stock images for uses beyond was was covered in the contract. Chat GPT has a warehouse of underpaid workers in Nigeria working in shifts to make it less likely to parrot hate speech. And none of that is engaging with the erasure of attribution, which is what the video was actually about.

[@An_RPG_Abstractionist]

A.I. isn't the problem. It's just a tool. It's the people who use I hat affectvif it's a good thing or not. Couldn't you argue that a photocopy machine is just as "evil"?

[@mapcrow]

The photocopier doesn’t erase the copies connection to what was copied. This example doesn’t engage with the argument I made in the video. Tools carry the bias of those that design them, they aren’t neutral, especially when they are in fact designed to be agents that make choices.

[@frothyslider253]

Using “placeholder art” is never an excuse to steal art from others. I would never intentionally support a project that I knew used ai art. I agree that it’s not a good idea to harass an art thief like Chris. I can say without certainty that I will never support any of his projects though. If he can’t respect other people’s art I feel no need to respect his

[@mapcrow]

The project has been completely illustrated by a single artist, which is a very rare opportunity. I think instead of looking for bad guys to cast out of polite society, it’s far better to talk about the folks that are not only changing and growing, but offering opportunities for artists to get paid.

[@vincentcleaver1925]

I thought bastionland was a point crawl?

[@mapcrow]

Electric Bastionland is. This new game is not.

[@Evyanon]

I left a comment but it got taken down! ;A; (the video was down for a bit not my comment)

[@mapcrow]

Ha! Sorry about that! I decided I wanted to tweak a few lines at the end to make sure I was being clear.

[@Hooskin]

I missed that voice so much.

[@mapcrow]

Aw! Thank you!! I've always been self conscious about it because it cracked well into my 20s and I still have a bit of a studder from when I was younger.

[@dobo9150]

So, should you get to meet a general AI with its own black-box process for deciding what to keep and what to drop from all it has to learn from, and its own motive decision-making is let to make decisions for itself (however those are mapped out or communicated by it) In that circumstance, would you see that one as another meatgrinder, sired or sustained by a corporation that exists to turn everything in the world into a profit? Or would you be inclined to see that one as another artist, another participant in this crazy conversation we are all entering into and leaving "in the middle of"? Full disclosure, I root for the latter, and I hope AI helps us value all processes which integrate bits of the world to do work as workers. Instead of devaluing all of us back to chattel, which... Well, that's also a choice which cultures can make, even if it makes fantasy necromancer Big Bads look squeaky-clean. Anyway, posting because I don't think the AI what can make its own decisions on what it likes and the kind of person it wants to be, I don't think it's far off at all. I just hope that we don't loose the sense we need to see that difference between labor-for-hire meatgrinder and self-directed artist. Human or otherwise.

[@mapcrow]

I find it more constructive to speak about the technology as it exists. If we get the best possible outcome from general AI, I would probably like that far more than what we are looking at now.

[@cameronframent8976]

🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰

[@bronyforthewin]

Couldnt you say the same thing about photography and realism art when photograpgy got good?

[@mapcrow]

No. If you ask a photographer who they study, where they shoot, and what they use, you can get an answer. AI not only won’t it’s designed not to. Ask Chat GPT to site it’s sources, link the articles. It cannot.

[@bronyforthewin]

But can you ask the camera where their inspiration and training came from? Ai will never replace artists it will only become a tool for better faster art, the point i was making with the camera is that ai is just another more difrrent tool.....and ofcourse you are right, ai cannot site its scources, no more than a chisel can cite a sculpter or a paint brush a painting, you dont expect the printing press to know who wrote the book its writing or where it was inspired just as no art comes from AI without an artist telling it to make something, just my 2 cents (please consider this reply my inability to stop myself from fanboying over the fact you responded to me lol)

[@mapcrow]

@@bronyforthewin Thank you for the kind words! You are of course correct, you can't ask the camera, but you can ask the photographer. In fact, there is a strong chance that you can find an interview with the person who designed the camera the photographer used. You cannot ask someone using AI art to site the source that the AI is using. There is a false equivalence here. While the other tools you mention don't preserve source data, AI actively and by design erases it. AI can't be this powerful game changing paradigm shift and also be "just a tool like any other". This is a contradiction.

[@bronyforthewin]

​@@mapcrow i just dont see it that way, there were even those who said the invention of writing would make us more forgetful, im slightly excited to see where this new innovation goes it seems like it might make expression of self easyer for those just starting out 😊 but maby im too positive lol

[@mapcrow]

@@yvainestelmack7196 The difference is that AI erases attribution. It makes it impossible, by design, to follow through with questions of attribution. I'm speaking specifically about how the technology exists now. If a person fails to attribute sources properly, it's plagiarism, infringement, and generally socially discouraged. I'm not engaging with hypothetic whataboutism. If you want to produce a specific example where a double standard is applied, please do so. I'm willing to guess that any description of a human artist obscuring information in the same way that AI is would be largely considered wrong.

[@morgangleave8518]

Is AI art art? It upsets me, as an artist, to see the way the use of AI generated images is becoming more common. It definitely demeans and devalues real artists creating art - so it could make it harder for us to make a living from actual art.

[@mapcrow]

Yeah, as an artist and art educator, it’s uh… been on my mind a lot. Haha. Worrisome thoughts.

[@hexcrawler]

I don't have the money to support an artist EVERY TIME I need something for my personal enjoyment that doesn't make me money. I think it would be helpful if we stop calling it AI "art". I was listening to a photography podcast about the issue of AI. The one photographer suggested to call it Promptography, and the images Promptographs. And there is a skill to operating engineering a good prompt that delivers the vision you have. Now, in the future, if I can ever get my channel to where I'm making some decent money from it, I will be sure to go out of my way to feature artwork and not promptography.

[@mapcrow]

See the pinned comment, please.

[@ihatedinosaurs6036]

All of the grievances you lay upon AI have nothing to do with the technology itself and everything to do with how corporations under a capitalist economy degrade artistry. Factories and mass production technologies have greatly diminished the profitability of all sorts of artisanal occupations over the last 200 years. Digital art and AI are just the latest in a long long list of affected industries and technologies that destabilized them. Focusing on AI as if it in particular is the problem is seeing the tree and missing the forest.

[@mapcrow]

Language Learning Models and Stable Diffusion were funded and developed in a specific way. I disagree with your assessment of those technologies. I do think there are many powerful opportunities for good in the world from AI, and stated so in the video.