In this sequel to our previous musing on the intersections of AI and the art world, we delve deeper into the innovative collaborations between artificial intelligence and human creativity, a domain ripe with potential yet fraught with ethical considerations and artistic dilemmas. Our journey through Walt Whitman's poetic philosophy in the last entry offered a springboard into the vast ocean of artistic expression, a realm where traditional barriers are continuously dismantled in favour of boundless exploration. This dialogue between the past and the future, between human emotion and computational logic, is the central issue here. I see acrosss various platforms a mixture of fear and misunderstanding of AI and art, this is opportunity to discuss it.
(Above : using Procreate to “liquify” a collage portrait as an example of a viewers changing facial expressions).
Let’s take interactive art, a term that once evoked images of installations responding to human presence or touch, has evolved. This is not the same as Immersive art such as Frameless or more recntly Van Gogh. Today, it encompasses intricate dialogues between the viewer and the artwork, facilitated by AI. These artworks challenge the passive consumption of art, inviting the audience to step into a space where their actions, decisions, or even emotions can influence the outcome. This dynamic realm of art not only democratizes the art experience, akin to Whitman’s vision of poetry for all, but also raises poignant questions about authorship, creativity, and the essence of human-AI collaboration. This has been a hot topic in the musice industry too.
(Above: the changing colours and patterns that an interactive mural might produce).
Consider, for instance, an interactive mural that changes colours and patterns in response to the emotions detected in the viewer's facial expressions. Here, the AI acts as both an interpreter and a co-creator, translating human emotions into visual language in real-time. The resulting artwork is neither solely created by the human artist nor the machine, but is a product of their joint creativity. It is not dissimilar to audience participation with stage or theatre act. This form of art, living and breathing through interaction, exemplifies the potential heights of human-AI collaboration. Though it would surely mean one viewer at a time unless all viewers had a similar facial expression?
So now let’s look at AI tools, which by definition can really only be used to assist in the creation of digital art work. It is here that I consider that AI is not all the be all and end all that it might at first appear to be. Whilst AI might well be able to be taught colour theory, compostion and maybe even historical styles and using AI as or digital tools it is reasonably easy to expand the range of experimentation with art work. But relying on an AI tool that has been “trained” on the Impressionist movement to suggest colour adjustments or markmaking with brush strokes to evoke Monet or Degas just does not feel right to me. Pushing boundaries with clever tools is one thing but doesn’t the artist learn through practice and dedication? Would it be a dilution of the artist’s originality relying on AI for too much of the knowledge and or research ? In my view yes it would be cutting away at the freedom and exploration of the artist without the fluidity and openess of Whitman’s verse.
The burgeoning field of AI in art is not without its ethical and philosophical quandaries. The question of originality in AI-generated art looms large, echoing the broader debate within the art world about what constitutes creativity and authorship. When an AI creates artwork based on data fed into it by a human artist, who is the true creator of the piece? And further, does the use of AI in the creative process diminish the value of the artwork?
These questions do not have easy answers, but they highlight the importance of ongoing dialogue and ethical consideration in the integration of AI into the art world. The collaboration between humans and AI in creating art could be seen as a new form of artistic expression, one that does not diminish human creativity but rather amplifies and extends it? The jury is out on this one in my opinion.
( A delicious locked room mystery…)
Like Whitman's embrace of free verse, which challenged the conventional boundaries of poetry and allowed for a more expansive expression of emotions and ideas. Whitman's embrace of free verse became a pivotal moment in literary history, demonstrating how breaking with tradition can lead to the emergence of new forms and possibilities in art. Similarly, the integration of AI in creative processes is pushing the limits of conventional artistic expression, fostering a fertile ground for innovation and the birth of previously unimaginable art forms.
As always if you have any comments or questions feel free to add them and ask away….thank you so much for your time.
