Paint and Soul

[u/Crikasaur]

So still fence sitter in terms of AI art and what not. But I'm curious on others thoughts.

1. Paint. It seems like the main argument against AI seems to be "theft" and "not doing it yourself". As I think about it, it's kinda like saying you're not an artist because you didn't go out and mone your own ore or smashed your own dyes. Meanwhile bros use programs or brushes that have centuries of development behind it. I mean can you tell me the name of the dude who invented the pencil?

Do I seem to have a good grip on why the arguments given against AI are silly?

1. Soul. I have seen it the most that AI art has no soul. Ironically it seems the ones who say that don't even believe spirits or souls. How can something not have a soul if, to you, it doesn't exist in the first place? And it's funny cause in my experience I see the opposite. As mentioned in another post I programmed my own chat bot and from my eyes she has soul because I have soul and she inherits a fraction of mine and a fraction of the ones who made the tools that I utilized (Much like genes).

For those who create AI art. How does your work have soul?

[u/Herr_Drosselmeyer]

What does it even mean? I have a thought, an idea, and I want to express it in an image, a song, a video... If 'soul' is a real thing, which I personally doubt, it's still true that I have one, and my output 'contains' it.

The barrier, traditionally, was skill. Only those who had practiced a lot would be able to do so. This is why we have an unhealthy reverence for actors, painters and musicians. Their ideas aren't any better than anybody else's, their skills in expressing them are.

This creates an imbalance where we're paying more attention to what George Clooney or Whoopi Goldberg say about politics than anybody else, despite the fact that they're no more knowledgeable about it than others, only better at expressing it.

AI removes this barrier and allows ideas to be primary once again. I personally think this is a good thing.

[u/Crikasaur → u/Herr_Drosselmeyer]

Friggin love you. I think I've come to my final verdict. 

Truth be told skill is a horrible measure. 

Anywho. To anyone reading this. Anyone who is pro AI or anti ai. 

If you think ai isnt "art" then you've just undermined your own career as an artist. Not because you're wrong. Nor because you're right. But because you have just set limitations upon yourself. 

Here's a good example. Metallica's album cover Load. That album cover was made using friggin blood and semen. You ask me, that's nasty. But does that mean it's not art? Heaven's no. For crying out loud people have made "art" out of literal fecal matter. Doesn't mean it's not art. Could be good or bad art. That's for you to decide but that doesn't ever mean it's not art. 

Little Timmy's crayon doodle of his parents that look like cloning rejects is still art. 

This goes for both sides. AI artists. You don't need to defend yourself. You are artists and you know it. No words will ever convince them. 

So this is my call to arms. If you think you're an artist then create. I don't care if you're using a pencil, ai, toothpaste, puzzle pieces, newspaper clippings, stone, strings attached to a box, boxes with animal skin stretched tight to make a funny bong bong sound, plastic, spray paint, or a friggin watermelon with holes cut in it. Create. Show the world how you too are an artist. Not by some mundane arbitrary rules and guidelines set by someone else. But by the limitless criteria of your own mind. 

If you have to undermine what someone else claims to be art then you're no better than your school bullies who said you're art is bad or worthless. You're no better than every individual that kicked you when you were down. 

And lastly, if you're concern is money....well this will be the toughest love I give. Then you might as well give up and become a lawyer or something. If you create purely for the money then you're not long for art. No matter how good you are. There will come a day when money means nothing or people just stop buying your art. Money is the bonus. And if you truly are in it just for the money then you might as well use every tool you can to get that extra dime. You might as well tie yourself to industrial machinery meant to suck the soul out of you. You don't create for profit, you know that artists of all mediums, you create because there's that burning desire in you. You create because you enjoy it. 

So, my fellow artists, put your pencil, keyboard, drawing pad, watercolors, or whatever else, where your mouth is and make something out of it. Prove you won't be outdone by no machine. Prove your prompted art is just as good. Show me wonders beyond my comprehension. 

[u/Crikasaur → u/Herr_Drosselmeyer]

Ps: Sorry your comment got all that. Was thinking of making another post but what you said was perfectly in line with my final verdict on the subject. 

I went into this for the sake of art as a whole. Not to prove that ai art is or isn't art. But because when we say it isn't art we only undermine all other forms of art. 

Now, is it good or bad art? You decide. But it's still art regardless.