EDITORIAL: AI in art: friend or foe?
AI has advanced over the past few years; having the potential to have its tentacles in every industry and the arts have not been exempt. However, what are the effects of this technology on the arts – a practice that is underpinned by human’s creative expression
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a prevalent part of the modern world. It has made itself at home in many of the industries we enjoy, including manufacturing, marketing, and art.
Art takes form in many ways, from drawing, creative writing, music; and the are several ways AI has been introduced to these fields, where it made significant changes — some of which are good; others not so much.
However, I am particularly interested in how it is affecting the arts as I am a writer myself. I have been writing creative pieces since I was a child, and it was always interesting to me to see how I can twist my words and assign my feelings a ‘physical form’; and I think AI writing misses the intricacies and nuances that could be infused by a human.
Besides it being able to churn out written pieces, AI advancements occur in different aspects of the creative process, such as giving ideas for the direction of an art piece, creating a sketch from scratch, and more problematically, using other artworks in the creation of new ones.
Despite concerns of art practitioners about the technology, AI continues to advance. In April, Udio, an AI powered music creation tool was released publicly. Udio allows users to create music by typing a description into a prompt box and altering it for the desired result. This is a highlight of the ways in which AI has grounded itself in art, and how simple it has made the creation of art — this accessibility has been widely debated.
On a personal level, I believe art is meant to be about expression, a means to put forward your beliefs and your thoughts. I think that art is made to mean something based on what the creator felt and represented, an element that I think may be missing from AI-generated art.
Despite this, many other artists may see the use of AI as an interesting extension of their own processes, and some may have even found some interesting ways to incorporate these new technologies into their work.
One such example is Stephen Shange, a multimedia artist and graphic designer at Wits who has been making art for more than 20 years. He explained that something he often considers is whether art is just a picture or a result of the human spirit. He wonders if art can just be considered so because it exists, or if the presence of intention gives it that title.
However, he notes that there are some ways that AI has been beneficial to his process, especially in completing the less exciting parts of the creative process, “[AI is helpful] as a starting point or for filler content that is meant for basic use.”
Dimpho Malatjie, a film and television student at Wits, mentioned that AI in art is a “double-edged sword.” She explained that it can enhance the creation process, but it can also create issues for creators. “There are things that people use AI for that they would have previously called an artist to do, for example, the writing of scripts and even using apps to edit.” These could be considered both a blessing and a curse because it can help with the execution of more time-consuming work.
The use of AI in art is very nuanced, even amongst artists in the field but it seems like AI is here to stay, so it is necessary for artists to find themselves in it and use it to their benefit.
FEATURED IMAGE: Kamogelo Kungwane, 2024 Wits Vuvuzela Journalist. Photo: File/Leon Sadiki
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