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“Imagine a human baby in a spaceship, doodle, coloured, super detailed,” I type in the prompt for Mid Journey AI. In a few minutes or so, an image is produced showing exactly what has been described. This is AI image generation, where you can create art using a few simple text prompts. It does not matter if you’re an artist or not, you can generate top-notch artworks without any skills.
AI image generation has become an indispensable part of our lives. From the images of Pope Francis playing basketball to Prime Minister Narendra Modi transformed into a ‘rockstar’ that made social media enter a frenzy, people are using it to create images in droves.
Last year, the Lensa bug struck everyone. From all the celebrities to your friends, it was the latest trend on social media, which turned a set of photos into ‘magic avatars’ like anime characters or fairytale beings. According to estimates by Sensor Tower, over 4 million individuals globally downloaded the app during the first five days of December. The app generated over $8 million in profits.
Taking to Twitter, an American voice artist, Jenny Yokobori wrote, “The AI app steals examples of art that were born from years of practice and expensive classes. Artists deserve more than to feel like they’re being discarded for some soulless robot.”
The implications of AI image generation are far-reaching and can impact every form of art. Talking about this, Anish Talpade, a freelance comic artist and illustrator says, “While AI has a lot of promise in other fields where the workload of certain jobs on humans can be eased, we’ve increasingly seen more specialised jobs like art and music, be given AI generating power that takes aways from the liberating factor art is known for.”
Expressing a similar sentiment, Yashaswi Dugar, an artist says, “AI scours images on the internet taken with or without permission of its respective creators, categorises them into data sets and then creates images abiding by these data sets against the textual prompt a human gives.”
AI uses various techniques like deep learning and neural networks which are trained using existing art. “It learns and recognises patterns, styles and visual characteristics of different art forms after which it can generate new art based on the input provided,” says Nyamat, an illustrator, highlighting that her concern is it might take over the art industry entirely.
She feels that art is a personal and human expression of creativity, and the idea of it being reduced to computer codes and algorithms is disconcerting. AI generated art also often borrows elements from existing art without proper acknowledgment of the original creators.
The legalities of AI generated art
An online campaign — #NotoAIArt — has seen artists share their concerns about the legality of AI image generators, and about how they have the potential to devalue the skill of illustration.
Vibhav Mithal, an intellectual property lawyer at Anand and Anand explains, “As per Indian law, original artistic works created by humans, even if computer-generated, are protected by Copyright Law. As currently, AI does not have any legal personality, it cannot qualify as a ‘person’ and therefore may not be recognised as an ‘author’ of a computer-generated work under the Copyright Act, 1957.”
In a class action lawsuit filed by artists before the United States District Court in California against Stability AI, it has been alleged that the AI tool was trained on images protected by copyright law. “Images were taken without permission from the artists, and then the tool created new images which compete in the same marketplace as the original image, without any compensation to the artist,” Mithal shares.
Recently, the court dismissed some claims, but allowed visual artist Sarah Andersen to pursue her claim that Stability AI’s use of her work to train Stable Diffusion infringed her copyrights.
The impact of AI-generated art on galleries and museums
With the AI art movement gaining momentum, physical exhibitions dedicated solely to this genre are becoming increasingly prevalent. From the world’s first AI art gallery in Amsterdam to “the first DALL-E inspired art exhibition” called ‘Artificial Imagination’ in San Francisco, it is penetrating the art scene. The question that looms, however, is whether AI-generated art poses a threat to the sanctity of art galleries — institutions that have long been the custodians of creative expression.
“The galleries today are as experimental as their artists are. For any gallery, it is important to showcase art works, which keeps its audiences updated with the current contemporary art scenario. Just as galleries have showcased NFTs and digital artworks, AI, too, should be regarded similarly,” says Mohit Jain, director, Dhoomimal Art Centre.
Art connoisseurs today are very eager and watchful of art that is inclusive of current trends and updated technology. “The audiences are both young and at the same time very open minded, with whatever new is coming their way,” Jain expresses.
However, what must be kept in mind, he explains is that “AI should be used by the artist to reflect his individual language or style and not as a shortcut to complete the artwork”.
Jain also addresses the inherent threats associated with AI-generated art, especially when considering its potential for mass production and forgery. “The challenge lies not in the technology itself but in safeguarding the authenticity and value of the original creations.”
Will AI art replace human creativity?
On the other hand, Fabin Rasheed, an artist working at the intersection of creativity and technology, says, “I feel AI has significantly decreased the creation time for all forms of arts such as imagery, poetry, writing, music and more. Just like how photography made image creation faster at a time when painting and illustration was popular, AI has made intent-driven creation faster. I do not think this is a “replacer” but an “enabler”.
Shruti Maheshwari, wall mural artist and designer, Chronicle of Colors, agrees, saying “What will replace the traditional artists are the artists who know how to use and take leverage of all the AI tools available to them. The only way to stay relevant in this industry is to stay up to date with the AI world and keep upgrading ourselves with the changing time.”
Pratap Morey, a contemporary artist, too, believes that “while AI art replicates certain styles, it can also be viewed as an opportunity to explore new techniques, source inspiration and push creative boundaries”.
However, for him, the process of creating art is not confined to his studio. “It’s a journey that begins with the morning sun and winds its way through bustling city streets, construction sites, and marketplaces. These experiences, debates with fellow artists, and the technical dialogues with fabricators empower my art.”
This emotional intelligence — the heartbeat of human creation — is a dimension where AI falters. “Art created by humans has come out of personal experiences, often challenging societal norms and conventions, making it a powerful form of self-expression. It can convey complex emotions and themes, such as love, loss, and the human condition, in a way that AI cannot. While AI can produce technically impressive art, it lacks the personal touch and emotional depth that humans can bring to their artwork,” Morey explains.
“There is no point being a Luddite in an era of innovation — you can experiment and develop your work further while riding this wave of change,” Dugar says.
All artists firmly agree upon one thing — humans bring a unique perspective to their art that AI cannot replicate. “AI cannot do what individuals do with art — be human, be emotive, be as raw in depiction as the artist’s emotion,” says Talpade.
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