Creative AI: Taking Part or Taking Over?

On the contrary, AI could of course exactly replicate a painting down to the brush stroke. And in theory it could do it with infinite variants (hairs moving in the wind, subtle changes of light, etc.) and in a millionth of the time. Surely, an impressive feat which is capable of superseding all of human creativity in a manner of seconds (in due course, at least!). But is it a viable substitute for the greats, or merely a vegan sausage to a hungry conservative?

Well, who are we to say what is and what is not art? Surely if it makes you feel or think - it’s on the right track. And of course, there is nothing more subjective than the aforementioned. Perhaps it doesn’t matter if art is no longer exclusively human-made either? Of course, there is merit in an Artist dedicating their whole life to painting, and producing 500 masterpieces(!), but does it matter if AI can do that in a few seconds? Does this diminish its credibility or success as an artwork?

Maybe art, if not just to facilitate feeling, is also judged on the level of human suffering that was required to produce it as well. Maybe that’s because we can relate to that. There’s no doubt that reading a poem which was hastily scribbled on the back of a cigarette pack from the trenches of World War Two does bare a certain credibility and dignity. Perhaps knowing this about the artist is the necessary context that makes us appreciate the poem in its fullest; and if an AI generator simply put out the same words in the same order with the same rhyme scheme, it surely loses a certain je-ne-sais-quoi.

I’d liken it to snowflakes forming; as we all know - there have never been two snowflakes the same. Which is utterly mind-altering when we consider the sheer vastness of their quantity - over time as well. Yet it remains the truth. And this is for the reason that there has never been two particles of dust in the exact temperature and wind speed with the exact level of sunlight and size of water droplet before. Which suddenly seems to make a lot more sense - of course those particular planets would (almost certainly) never align! So why would we expect identical snowflakes?

I think of art a bit like this; we appreciate the snowflakes not just because of their visual beauty and idiosyncrasy, but also because we can reflect on the context which gave birth to their uniqueness. AI generated art is like that: could it predict every fathomable snowflake formation based on the above variables and generate all possible variations in the blink of an eye? Of course! Would this be interesting for us as humans? Somehow, I doubt it.

There is something about this exact environment and sheer uniqueness and scarcity of a snowflake or piece of artwork that gives the piece its credit. The knowledge that something as perfect as that would never and could never be produced again leaves the observer feeling in awe of its scarcity and fragility, and thus protective of its beauty and what that means. And therein lies the value of the artwork. And I personally think this will always set man apart from AI.

In conclusion, is AI here to take part or to take over? To appreciate art is to appreciate the artist and the context through which they crafted their piece. AI can of course emulate stylistic designs, certain technicalities and moods, and even provide insight or humour; but has it suffered for this art? I feel it has not. And possibly cannot. And I also feel that that matters.

We understand Van Gogh through the eyes of his madness; we understand Da Vinci through his devotion to Christ; and we read Dickens as if we were hungry children peering through Butcher’s window. AI has not yet had the chance to have this context from which to work; nor am I certain it ever could(?). I don’t know. You’d have to ask someone a lot smarter than me. Anyway, I believe if you’re considering a career in the creative industry - fear not. Your human experience will be forever in demand and yet untouchable by your AI-counterparts. We have to learn to live with it, and not against it. Let us marvel at the impressive feats we are all now capable of in the advent of this technological tsunami.

And as for the security of my copywriting job….well - I guess I’ll let you be the judge of that