This is quite possibly one of the most important topics of conversation in our time.
It isn’t because art is appealing to look at that it resonates with our feelings, with our soul. It is because other people made it. Why we look at wonder and fulfillment at art is because it is an expression of our unique experiences and feeling, a reaction to life. It doesn’t matter that the imagery we construct from isn’t technically novel. Technically, the way we foresee imagery isn’t novel. But the overall expression, the way we use images and built memories is unique to us. It is novel. Every artist, every human, no one could create art the exact same way. From the line detail, to the imperfections, to the entire constitution of elements.
Why we watch a film and cry, or feel overwhelming joy, fulfillment at not being alone in our feelings and thoughts… this is because we inherently know it to be an expression from another human being. It is the human condition that we crave a sort of fellowship, of mutuality, of belonging. Of friendship, of love, of community. But also an understanding of life’s pain, hardship, all these complexities and simplicities to being human. It is all about that expression coming from another person. That’s what’s most important about how we relate to it. That is the core essence. When it comes to more abstract terms, like still art, it is still a composition from the mind, from our imagination. Or even our own take/tweak on a preexisting thing (pokemon). Even if that landscape is a distortion/manipulation of all past memories and elements. The choices we made in creating it are what are meaningful to observe.
AI art is a damnation. It isn’t art. It is imagery. Art is that which is creatively and expressively made by humans. That is objectively what art is. All else is imagery. Even if it is interesting or cool to look at. It will never, ever mean the same thing as what humans express. And the intent that non artists have on using it for monetary gain, the plans they desire and have in store, well, it is the most bleak aspect of the future. I won’t even begin to get started on the whole late stage economic thing here. That in of itself is a whole other aspect and talking point. An even easier reasoning that everyone should want to reject it as anything more than just an assistance tool with strict limitations with a clear line beyond which your work wouldn’t actually be yours. Imagine, people, imagine a dark world where you don’t know what is real, whether what you see is made by your fellow souls, or by computers. Let us make our reality even more consumptive and thoughtless.
Regarding what wisewailmer said, this is the era of rereleases… just so everyone knows, if you really believe artists are getting lazy, please go read and learn. These decisions on all the dreadful, dead stuff coming out is the decision made by non-artists (anti-artists, if you will). They are made by the producers, the investors, the board members. Artists have little say (always have had too little and hence why society has always being tumultuous) in what happens. While they should be the decision makers, they are far from it. Don’t blame shite work on artists. Also, easy access, self publication has implications here, but again, another, different point.
Manny, this is why Miyazki is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He understands this. He is an epitome of expressing the human condition. His films are among the most beautiful ever created. His opinion should be respected with very high regard. He doesn’t even want to go beyond using computers as an accessory in limited capacity (rendering premade elements)–meaning he still hand draws everything. For the reason that it is purely from the artist’s hand, that the best, most pure art is expressed. This is exactly why the above imagery is so bland and soulless. And we already started to blur the line between AI and human work. When we started using computers beyond the means of assistance, but instead started using them as the drawing tool. This is exactly when such pokemon cards started appearing extraordinarily dull and lifeless. Why you often can’t distinguish many artists from one another. Even with their patterns and approaches being different, if their pen (meaning their hand) and the variables are the same, they won’t look distinct enough as two hand made pieces would from one another.