AI: HUMANITY'S FRIEND OR FOE?

Emilia Djordjevic & Melody Wu

For many artists, the rise of AI art has come with mixed emotions. As the industry continues to expand and experiment with different art mediums and materials, AI’s entrance poses both potential and concern. From DALL-E to MidJourney to WOMBO Dream, AI has made art accessible to all. Insert a prompt or an image, and the apps generate artwork or replicate a style. The AI creates work by analyzing the aesthetic of a visual dataset, sometimes comprising thousands of images. However, due to the softwares’ lack of sourcing, various professional artists have been cheated of their labor and talent. Subsequently, while some critics demand accountability for the art it references, others simply deem the trend inevitable. Therefore, though AI art is likely here to stay, just how far should it go? 

OCSA students had their own perspectives to share. Many frame the AI art trend as an ethical issue because, as Audrey Yoo (VA ’24) stated, “in a way … it’s plagiarism” – plagiarism of the works of countless artists who have not consented to the integration of their art into AI datasets. Moreover, Yoo shared, “while a real person has their own thoughts, personality and view that is unique to them, AI lacks the kind of specific intent a real artist has.” OCSA teachers agree: Cassandra Bellomo, a VA storyboarding teacher, concurred that AI is simply “a tool, but not one that can replace the human mind.” Nevertheless, both Yoo and Bellomo aren’t too troubled by the concerns raised about AI replacing artist labor. 

Even so, Caroline Fleet – an AP art history teacher – believes that in several cases, this situation has already started to materialize. For instance, author Ammaar Reshi recently published a children’s book that used artificial intelligence to generate its illustrations. In order to solve this debated issue, Fleet concluded it’s imperative to “train people to … [use AI tools] responsibly and with the awareness of where these images come from so that they know the risks and responsibilities associated with using such a powerful tool.” 

While it might seem hopeless for emerging artists as AI takes over, there may still be possible benefits to this new technology. Digital Media Conservatory Director Patrick Williams discussed several alternative views to the AI backlash. Williams views the controversy not as an ethical issue, but a “legal and intellectual property (IP) issue,” as artists are not compensated for the use of their art. Due to the proliferation of social media, artists have had to deal with repercussions (such as plagiarism) when making their work accessible to the public. As such, with the introduction of AI art generators, artists have lost even more control over their art. “We live in a world where everything gets simplified, because it’s easier to grasp,” Williams stated, adding, “but in reality there are more factors to take into account.” For him, rather than seeing AI as a roadblock, it poses more as an exciting opportunity and launch point for artists and non-artists alike. 

Take photography: when the camera was invented, traditional painters responded with similar hostility because they believed it would invalidate their years of experience. “How do we feel about photos now? We take photos all the time, and there’s still legitimacy and value given to somebody who can draw really well,” Williams indicated. In short, he believes AI will not take that away from art either. In fact, an experiment we conducted showed that nearly 75 percent of OCSA participants were able to accurately distinguish human art from AI art. Thus, just as fine art was able to evolve in incredible ways after the camera emerged, AI art may perhaps “allow us to catapult into some totally new space we can’t currently imagine.”