While I truly believe AI is fascinating and could be a very interesting tool, too many people are trying to use it to replace artists.
AI programs can create images in seconds from seemingly nothing (hint: it’s not from nothing) to fulfill any request. At first glance, these images look great, but if you look a little closer, they tend to have flaws that distinguish them from actual art. The issue with this is that many people are fooled by them. Several businesses have been caught trying to pass off these images as actual art, and then give some soulless apology when they’re called out. It’s a known thing that graphic designers are underpaid, and with widespread access to AI image generators, I think the profession may become obsolete.
But now it’s not only affecting digital artists. In 2023, the Vermeer painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” was removed from its place in the Rijksmuseum to be cleaned. To fill the space, the museum held a contest for a chance for several artists to display a piece inspired by the painting. One of the pieces selected was created with AI. Julien van Dieken describes himself as a “digital creator” and has created a platform for himself with AI “art”. It was one of five winning entries (out of about 3,480 submissions). He was transparent about his process, so the blame falls on the museum for this. They immediately faced backlash for this decision from the public as well as reputable artists. This is the statement they released:
“It was not and is not about [the] ‘most beautiful’ or ‘best’. For us, the starting point has always been that the maker has been inspired by Johannes Vermeer’s world-famous painting. And that can be in the most diverse ways in image or technique.”
This is an empty statement, and it validates these people who believe they’re creators just because they went through the hardship of coming up with a prompt. This is also a direct insult to artists who actually put the time and effort into their work. It’s pretty much just saying that their effort is meaningless if the end product isn’t perfect.
I truly hope that true art does not become obsolete due to greed and impatience, but based on the nature of capitalism, I believe that is the current future for artists and designers.