Art, Artists, and Artificial Intelligence

What may seem like Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” at first, is actually a replica created using Midjourney AI. While not exactly identical, it shares an impressive resemblance with the original. What’s even more impressive is the fact that this was created by entering a simple prompt into the AI Text-to-Image Generator.

The fact is, AI is evolving by leaps and bounds when it comes to art, and it is only going to get better from here, in large part due to all the material out there on the internet for it to learn from. In most cases, it’s easy to discern whether an artwork is made by humans or AI, since it often leaves trademark elements such as extra fingers on hands, the line between artificial artworks and “real” artworks is becoming increasingly blurred. 

Companies such as  Midjourney (the one we just mentioned) have been known to train their AI model by feeding it artworks made by 1600 artists  from across the globe, without any form of payment, consent, or recognition to the original creators. Ironically so, WACOM, a corporation that specializes in graphics tablets for digital artists  released an advert earlier this year which used an AI generated artwork. Although they were met with backlash, it’s clear how, going forward, companies are more and more likely to use AI for any sort of artwork or promotional material, rather than hiring an artist. After all, it does save them money - regardless of any ethical issues.

Other than visual artists, singers and musicians have also spoken out against the involvement of AI in music. Celebrities such as Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, and Stevie Wonder were among other signatories of an open letter issued by the Artist Rights Alliance. The letter discussed the responsibilities and role of AI in the music industry, and how misuse could result in copyright infringement. On the other hand, some artists don’t seem to have a problem with using AI. One such notable example was when Drake used AI to replicate the voices of Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur in his song “Taylor Made Freestyle” - which was released as a diss-track on Kendrick Lamar in April of 2024. In the song, the AI generated voices of both artists sang verses. The fact that an artist as big as Drake was willing to use AI to replicate the voice of other creators (both alive and deceased) raises questions regarding the moral implications and the stance of artists on AI in music.

When the camera was invented, many portrait artists were forced to reinvent their style into something more impressionable and abstract. But while the camera only created competition for hyper-realistic pieces and portraits, AI has made artists of all styles concerned for their creative and artistic integrity. If AI can adapt and closely replicate art styles in a few seconds, can artists really feel assured that their work will be valued in the future?