AI art has been thrust into the spotlight recently, largely due to apps like Dream and Wonder. If you’ve been on social media at all, you’ve probably seen friends and family members uploading pictures of themselves as works of art in different styles.
Thinking about the scope of AI artwork is mind-boggling, to say the least. With a few simple words or facial recognition techniques, technology can generate a completely new and unique work of art in a matter of minutes. As this type of art becomes more accessible to the average person, there are many practical uses for it, and benefits that can help everything from business endeavors to your overall well-being.
However, not everyone is a fan of AI art. There are some artists that suggest it’s unethical and takes away from the humanity, integrity, and even security of human-created artwork.
Let’s dig a little deeper into how AI art can be used in the modern world, and why it’s often beneficial. We’ll also touch on the ethics of AI art and ways to make it morally approachable without encroaching on the creativity of real artists.
AI Art and Your Well-Being
There’s no denying that AI art can be everything from beautiful and unique to curious and exciting. But, it offers more than just “pretty pictures” to the average person. For centuries, art has been appreciated for its beauty and complexity. But, in more recent years, we’ve also started to see the positive impact it can have on a person’s mental health.
To say we’re living in a stressful society would be an understatement. We’re just coming out of a global pandemic, the economy is sluggish, and there’s plenty of political and social unrest across the globe. People are dealing with everything from social anxiety to health anxiety – largely due to the effects of the pandemic.
As a result, there’s been an increase in demand for mental health services. Technology has stepped in to meet those demands. Modern tech is being used in a variety of ways to help those struggling with their mental well-being. Things like teletherapy have made it possible for those in underserved areas to get help. AI art fits in perfectly with tech trends boosting mental health. Art therapy is nothing new. It’s often used to help with issues like:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Certain phobias
Using AI technology, anyone can become an artist and create visually-captivating pieces that help with symptoms of anxiety, stress, and much more.
AI art is also creating job opportunities. If you’re feeling the stress of an unstable economy, you can utilize AI art to create new products, logos, and much more for businesses or to sell on a digital storefront. Doing so can help to boost creativity and reduce stress, while offering you peace of mind about your financial situation.
How Can the Modern World Benefit?
AI has already created a positive impact on the world at large. It’s being used in every industry from healthcare to marketing.
As technology continues to advance, we’ll start to see AI utilized to allow paralyzed limbs to move again and to help cars literally drive on their own. It reduces human error without replacing the need for human interaction. From helping tired doctors with surgeries to improving the safety standards of product manufacturing lines, there’s really no limit to what AI can do as long as it has data to learn from.
AI is also being used in other creative industries, including writing. It helps writers with things like:
- Grammar checks
- Plagiarism checks
- SEO research
- Performance analysis
It may also help writers come up with graphics that fit their needs, whether fiction authors or marketers creating web content.
That’s just one example of AI art in the modern world. Because it’s so easy to access and more affordable than hiring a professional artist, small businesses, independent publishers, and authors, and anyone who needs professional-looking artwork quickly can benefit from the ease and practicality of AI art.
Can AI Art Ever Be Ethical?
The problem some people have with this type of art is that it essentially has to “take away” from past and current artists in order to work properly. Artificial intelligence is only as good as the data it takes in and the patterns it learns. The developers who have created popular AI art apps took the time to input countless pieces of art in different genres and styles, so the artificial intelligence could learn enough to start creating pieces in a variety of styles.
The possibilities with AI art are endless. It levels the playing field and truly allows almost anyone to create beautiful, original pieces of art in a matter of minutes. So, what does that mean for people who have spent years perfecting their craft? What does it mean for struggling artists trying to sell their work and gain notoriety?
It might be too soon to tell.
Final Word
AI art will only continue to change and adapt if it keeps learning from existing artists.
We need human artists to keep creating and keep coming up with new ways to express themselves through their work. While it can easily be argued that AI “cheapens” the artistic experience, we should be able to strike a balance between human-created artwork and pieces put together by technology. At its very core, art has always been about evoking emotion – a very human quality.
No matter how much technology advances, we will always need seasoned artists to keep drawing out that emotion through the stroke of a brush or a charcoal pencil.