The advent of artificial intelligence has resulted in significant shifts in various fields, but the use of AI in art creation is a particularly hot-button issue that’s causing ripples across the aesthetics and culture spheres. As AI continues to generate impressive imagery, critics, artists, and observers alike grapple with fundamental questions surrounding the essence of art, the role of creativity, and the ethical implications of using machines to generate what traditionally has been a human expression. This article delves into the rise of AI-generated art and the profound questions it raises about the future of aesthetics and culture.

In recent years, there has been a growing debate around the use of AI in art creation, and whether AI-generated art can truly be considered art at all. As Molly Crabapple of the Los Angeles Times reported, apps such as Stable Diffusion and Midjourney can churn out polished, detailed images based on text prompts in mere minutes or hours, and while their images still have problems, they are already good enough to have been used for book covers and editorial illustration gigs.

However, the use of AI in art creation raises some fundamental questions about the nature of art and creativity. The argument that the prompt writer is the true creative behind AI-generated art fails to take into account the fact that creating art requires the artist to bare their soul and express their unique perspective on the world. AI, on the other hand, lacks the ability to do this, and as such, its creations cannot truly be considered art.

Luke Plunkett wrote In Kotaku that, many professional artists are deeply concerned about the use of AI-generated imagery on websites like ArtStation, which are specifically designed to showcase the work of human artists. The fact that AI-generated images are able to float to the top of ArtStation’s “Explore” section is a worrying trend that threatens to undermine the value of human artistry.

While AI-generated creations may have a function for things such as concepts and video thumbnails, the idea that these creations can be considered art, and that those who use AI to generate these creations can call themselves artists, is deeply problematic. As Molly Crabapple pointed out, AI-generated art is not the product of a human, it is the product of a machine, trained on data sets that were not ethically obtained.

To address these concerns, it is essential that AI-generated creations come with a clear disclaimer, indicating that they are the product of a machine, rather than a human being. With the ever-growing prevalence of proof of contract on blockchain technologies, this should be a relatively straightforward process and would allow users to make informed decisions about the art they choose to consume.

I believe that while AI may have its place in certain areas, it cannot truly be considered art, and those who use AI to generate these creations should not be able to call themselves artists. The use of AI in art creation threatens to undermine the value of human artistry, and it is essential that steps are taken to ensure that AI-generated creations are clearly identified as such.