Art is the ultimate expression of the human experience.

This definition of art has been challenged in recent times with the advent of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence models, which can seemingly make masterworks of art with little human input and effort. As one might expect, the question arises: does art made by a non-human still retain the meaning of art made by a human, and is AI-generated art considered art at all?

Art created by artificial intelligence refers to the image creating software of ChatGPT, Sorra, and other companies that all serve variations of the same product. These engines work by creating new images drawing upon outside images that can be found on the Internet. AI is incapable of creating anything new, per say, but can mix up and mash older images to create “new” ones. The average person can already do this now by either buying a subscription to certain services online, or by using the free trials offered by companies attempting to sell their AI subscriptions.

Artists’ concerns and issues with AI draw many parallels with issues artists have faced when confronting new technologies in the past. For example, when photography became widespread, there was a great debate on how it should be viewed and interpreted. Some artists of the time stated that they did not like how easy it was to take photos and have them viewed as something on par with previous works of art, such as paintings. These artists – namely artists of Neoclassicism and Romanticism – also thought that since it was so easy to take a photo, it could not be considered art at all, as it was devoid of life and nuance. “From the beginning, artists were dismissive of photography, and saw it as a threat to ‘real art,’” writes Aaron Hertzmann. New “photographers,” as they liked to call themselves, argued that rather than destroying traditional arts, photography added to the conversation and, instead of diluting the quality of previous works, enhanced them.

Photography suddenly forced representational artists to rethink the actual purpose of art. One result of this “crisis” was the rise of several art movements that followed the invention of photography, such as Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and then later Cubism, Fauvism, and Expressionism. These movements explored what art can mean as a way to represent the experience of humanity.

The Impressionist movement focused on capturing reality in different ways than before. The artists of that movement sought to communicate the transient nature of light, color, and movement, to generate an “impression” of the scene. Claude Monet, perhaps the most distinguished of the Impressionists, painted specific scenes over and over to capture how the changing light created new sensations of color and shadow throughout the day. For Monet, the world could not be represented in the static moment the photograph captured, but rather, through the direct observation of an ever-changing time and place. Because of photography, a new technology, artists were forced to consider their mission in a different, and arguably more meaningful, way.

Now that we have established that new innovations tend to receive backlash for a short period, and then, later down the line, become widely accepted and used by all, the question is: what makes AI different?

What many artists and people opposing AI will say when asked about AI and art’s future is that art created by artificial intelligence is just that: artificial. Art created by an engine has no purpose, guide, or “meaning.” Another concern, this time more ethical, posed by critics of AI-generated art is that it cannot work unless it copies someone else’s art. It is simply the regurgitation of thousands of works blended and stitched together into one Frankenstein-style image. Artists like Karla Ortiz worry that their art is being used as a source by AI companies, such as ChatGPT, without their permission; yet another ethical concern. Other artists have voiced their concern that their art styles are being blatantly copied by AI models. A way to observe this is by simply putting in the prompt, “make an image of ___ in the style of [artist’s name]” on any image-creation AI model. They may also say that AI threatens to replace art with a dull gray substitute.

A proponent and advocate of AI art’s worth may instead say that AI doesn’t replace art, but instead allows artists to draw inspiration from AI-generated images, in order to strengthen their previous works. A great advocate in the art world for the use of AI by artists in order to further their creative ability is Craig Boehman. But the more important question may be: how does AI force today’s artists to reevaluate and imagine their own purpose? Perhaps AI images are simply a different means to create art (as photography was) that nudges artists to reevaluate why human-made works matter.

Artists are now confronted, as they have been in the past, with the question of what makes art important and meaningful. The consensus seems to be this: while AI art may be something similar to “art,” it lacks the alchemy of human communication. AI cannot speak to the awe of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” or the whispered longing in Vermeer’s “Girl with the Pearl Earring.”

The outcome is still changing and rapidly evolving as AI art becomes more sophisticated and widespread. But the advent of AI-generated art may be a win for all. Artists have been given the chance to affirm the meaning and strength of their practices, and the common person now has access to an immensely important and useful tool. AI and its art will only improve with time, which is a future we should be excited to see.

Sources:

Boehman, Craig. “In Defense of AI Art: History Repeats Itself, Again, Again, and Again.” Social Mirror blog, June 13, 2023. https://craigboehman.com/blog/in-defense-of-ai-art.

Hertzmann, Aaron. “How Photography Became an Art Form.” Medium, July 23, 2018. https://medium.com/@aaronhertzmann/how-photography-became-an-art-form-7b74da777c63.

Wakelee-Lynch, Joseph. “AI’s Impact on Artists.” LMU Magazine, April 26, 2023. https://magazine.lmu.edu/articles/mimic-master/.