Don’t ignore it, though - I’ve seen so many variations of this sentiment, and it’s so disconnected from the reality of how art gets made and artists supported, it needs to be vigorously stomped on with the heavy work boots of reality, every time.
Right, because there are things “AI” can’t do, but we can’t actually easily identify them in practice. Anything made by people is assumed to have (some degree) of originality, intentionality, thought, emotion, etc. because it does. But because “AI” work looks like it was created by a human, it’s also given the benefit of the assumption it has those things too (even if the resulting work is utterly empty). There’s no real dividing line between the “real art” and everything else.
Even if we define “real art” so narrowly that we’re only talking about the segment of work with heavy gatekeeping and cultural (but not necessarily financial) worth - i.e. published novels and fine art in curated shows - “AI” work can intrude, as you point out, even it’s the “artist” who would be doing it. (At this point, anyways - it’s only a matter of time before someone sets up a scam gallery that sells AI-generated “fine art” prints, if it hasn’t happened already. There are certainly such galleries already that cynically produce “vaguely art-shaped objects” that don’t require artists.) But it’s also not like all the writers doing magazine articles and ad copy are going to become published novelists, all the commercial artists will get gallery shows, much less make a living at it. So yeah, their argument become ridiculous on multiple levels, both theoretical and practical.
And the thing with both fine and commercial art is that we expect the final work to embody the artist’s thought and intentionality. Which “AI” work can’t, obviously. We project some onto the image, but it’s going to be lacking. But with stock art that is, by design, decontextualized images that are by their nature unaware and thus unrelated to their final context, you don’t notice - that’s also where buyers of stock art aren’t going to be able to see (or ask for) evidence of the process. And also why they don’t care if it is “AI” output - it’s just images existing as nothing more than images arbitrarily inserted next to their ad copy.
Yes, a one off drawing of a dragon for a Wacom ad is at the bottom end of the market. It is true that there isn’t much respect for illustrators in that market but that’s not going to change. It is also correct though that it now harder difficult for illustrators to get started now that AI is taking away the lower paid work at the bottom of the market. It isn’t going to stop though.
You cut out the part where I said, “not as a rule.” What’s good for you isn’t necessarily good for everyone, but I’m happy you can be happy that way, at least.
Sure it could… Not like society is static and never changes. It changes all the time. Not like we’re still living the same way we did 10,000 years ago.
just because YOU gave up and accepted a shitty situation doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. I suspect that you’re just disheartened and want everyone else to give up too… Well, fuck that.
Nor to accept it. Apparently not everyone has learned the lesson of the labor uprisings last year, which is that we can work together to improve things and the current hierarchy isn’t inevitable.
I’m not quitting anything, I never was competing for illustration jobs. I’m also not happy that AI is taking away illustration jobs but it won’t stop. Even this website regularly using AI illustrations.
How disingenuous. It’s not just cartoon dragons and you know it. People are using AI to make work that looks like Lois van Baarle’s and there’s nothing she can do about it because she can’t copyright her “style.” It’s coming for all of us, whether you admit it or don’t.
Edit to add: I’m not making a sincere effort to convince you. I’ve lived long enough to know that’s pointless. But I don’t have to let such sentiments pass unanswered. Like I pointed out before, this is my life. I wanted to be an archeologist, but everyone told me to be an artist because it was what I was good at. And eventually I did, because the need to create things and connect with people was such a big part of me I couldn’t ignore it. And now that’s all gone. And the same people who pushed me to make this my identity don’t care. The people who used to help me out with commissions when my cat was sick don’t care. It sucks. You’re welcome to your opinions. It’s your life, after all. Don’t try to tell me it’s fine, though, because it isn’t. Not at all.
Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. People are pushing back, there are lawsuits in court and people are speaking out to make the rest of the world aware of these problems, especially people who aren’t working in the arts…
The more we let them dictate terms to us, the more we let them win.
That sticky-up part rests against the roof of the horse’s mouth. Not shown is the chain that’s supposed to be attached, which goes in the horse’s chin groove. All in all a very nasty piece of hardware. No one, other than ai and bigoted authoritarians, deserves such monstrosities in their mouths.
YES. THIS. This is what keeps rattling around in my head! The process and the choices and the problem solving are the work. The finished product is nothing without them.
Good luck with that.
