Is AI Art Real Art?

Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay

As I write this, I'm reminded of lyrics from the old Newcleus jam Computer Age: Push the Button:

"...I know the Lord cannot be too glad

In fact, I'm sure he must be quite mad

To see us take His role from our lives

And give it to computers

For here we sit in our easy chairs

As our machines decide how we'll fare

Who will suffer, who will survive?

It's up to the computers."

artificial intelligence

Indeed, technology has permeated every aspect of our lives today; how we shop, how we date and socialize, how we work, and this is even more true today than it was when this early hip-hop classic was released nearly 40 years ago.

Today, we have AI platforms like ChatGTP, Cortana and others, that can do everything from helping compose music to writing resumes. Platforms that can create art - anything from illustrations, photographs, or sketches - using artificial intelligence algorithms.

I suppose it was inevitable that artificial intelligence would come for the art world. We already have creators that can produce incredible pieces of digital art, so AI producing art was not a stretch. We now have DALL-E that can produce digital 'artistic' images when the user inputs specific prompts. To use DALL-E (or the newer version, DALL-2) you need to buy credits before you are able to produce digital paintings with it. The same with Zedge. Now, I was able to produce my own AI art using Zedge. I created a superhero and was moderately pleased with the results.

A superhero I created with AI on Zedge. What's up with his face?

His body turned out pretty good, but something went on with his face that apparently the AI wasn't quite able to figure out. I went back and created another hero on Zedge with somewhat better results:

Second hero created I with Zedge with somewhat better results.

Obviously, the quality of art you are able to produce varies with the sophistication of the platform you are using. Some artists are able produce some truly beautiful pieces using AI. Consider this surreal waterscape below by Mo Eid.

Painting by Mo Eid

Or this piece by Susan Cipriano:

Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay

So all of this brings us back to our original question- is AI generated art still art? Well, many seem to think so. In fact, bitforms ( it is spelled with a lower-case 'b') a contemporary art gallery in New York seems to believe so. It was founded in late 2001 with an emphasis on artists "critically engaged with new technologies", as it mentions on its 'About' section.

AI-produced art has become more and more mainstream and it's a trend that likely will not be going away. But will AI art supplant artists using more traditional means? Probably not, I think. Even though some AI is capable of producing works in the unique style of Van Gogh or Picasso, I believe there remains a human need to pick up pencil, pen, or brush, and actually use our own God-given talent and 'algorithms' to produce our own unique works of art.

See you guys in the next one.