Imagination Will Separate Future AI Artists From Amateurs

You can’t teach everyone how to think creatively.

There’s been a lot of blowback about AI imaging platforms since they rose from the tech landscape a few months back. It’s quite clear now that AI-assisted art will not be going away, as more AI tools emerge to make use of it. The question now is whether artists will accept this and embrace the tech, or push back out of principle.

Look, I get some of the concerns from professional artists. There’s a popular Instagram post making the rounds from an artist named Kelly McKernan, noting AI models were fed her images without her consent or compensation. In other words, some of the results from AI can closely mimic her style based on what it learned.

“I’m incredibly anxious for the future of my career, more than ever before. Further, I’m concerned for the future of human creativity,” notes McKernan in the post. She’s not the only one. Other artists who are being used as “prompts” to generate certain styles are fighting against AI art.

Meanwhile, I see this new technology as a game changer, not just for those without artistic skills, but those who are pro artists looking to expand their capabilities. Some of the comments about AI from artists I follow note they are excited about how AI can enhance their offerings or simplify their workflow.

As I noted in an earlier post on this topic, artists can use AI to preview their work and to help pinpoint a client’s preferences. It can also be used to imagine new versions of existing work or create a signature NFT series. I also noted in another article how AI can become a “muse” for your creative writing.

The divide between AI art pros and amateurs is already widening

Part of the argument is that anyone, including your great aunt who has never made art in their life, could generate something beautiful and even sell it using AI.

However, there are a couple of things that people ignore when they make this argument. One is that you need to have a vivid imagination to dream up some of the concepts that full-time artists do. Not everyone can dream up concepts that are impactful, and that makes people look twice. I’d argue that at least 50% of being an artist is the ability to conceptualize.

Second, you need to learn how to properly prompt the software to create what you’ve imagined. The approach is a bit different for each AI platform, and many “modifiers” can be learned to change the outcomes.

So, on the one hand, you need creative power, and on the other, you need technical ability to bring it to life. In the case of a traditional artist, this could be wielding a paintbrush, or building something three-dimensional, like a sculpture. I argue that the technical expertise can be learned and improved, but you can’t teach someone how to think like an artist.

As an example, I’ve spent hours typing different prompts for my AI image results to match with what’s in my mind. In some cases, I’ve combined elements from various image generations to create one final product. This is not something just anyone can do — it requires Photoshop skills, which is another digital product that disrupted photography after it was released. Now, Photoshop is just another tool in an artist’s toolbox.

Most of the AI images I’m seeing from people on social media are glorified selfies. There are a couple of popular platforms that can achieve this, one of them being Lensa AI. This shows me that even with tech that can create incredible images, most people are still thinking inside the box.

AI art could be a boon for full-time creators

Addressing the concerns that AI is trained on art without consent: ALMOST ALL ART IS. Humans have continuously used other works as inspiration for their own creations, if only subconsciously. We take in thousands of media impressions per day, and that’s just in ads. They undoubtedly shape our results as artists.

Having people copy your style will not bankrupt you. In fact, I’d say you’re probably pretty successful already if your style is being fed into a machine.

Okay, so what about compensation? Well, first of all, you can’t copyright a style. That means people can mimic your work, and then sell it, without owing you anything. On the other hand, if a bunch of “copycat” work emerges in the style of an artist, it will increase the value of an artist’s real work.

Think about it: fake paintings have existed for centuries, duping people in the process. Artists who are worried about others using their style can authenticate their work through a signature, limited prints, or other approaches (such as posing with their originals.) Art collectors will seek out the real deal, and perhaps pay more for it.

Listen — I’ve been a pseudo-artist for decades. I’ve sold my photography and writing, and hope to sell some of my AI creations. I could see how someone would be pissed off if their drawing style ended up in a graphic novel with no acknowledgment. But as it stands, it’s probably a losing battle, unless this current lawsuit changes the game again.

I think the key for artists who want to continue being successful (in the age of artsy robots) is to maintain their rareness. Only the artist can envision the finished product, which may vary greatly from an AI version. Only an AI artist can make their work have meaning tied to world issues.

As I pointed out to an artist friend, AI cannot yet paint large-scale murals or build massive sculptures. It can mimic a good street photo, and even copy the styles of the greats. But the real essence of good street photography is reality, just like the essence of good art is imagination.

A machine can’t have human experiences

While AI improves, it may dream bigger than ever thought possible. But real artists know how a work can make someone feel, and what it means to humanity. An algorithm can guess based on data, but will never draw on its own unique experiences — only the experiences of others. (That’s one reason I don’t think AI writing software will ever completely replace human scribes, especially when writing personal stories.)

It will be interesting to see how AI art will change the art world. But no matter what happens, I think the future has room for all kinds of artists — including AI artists with huge imaginations, and the ability to bring them to life using new digital tools.