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So... about DA's AI Art policy.
3 years ago
Contrary to my opening remarks on social media, I am TRYING to keep an open mind about the AI Art and Writing debate that has been thrusted in my lap after several years of the idea being the punchline in a bad joke.
Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to give a damn about the critics. Even recently lost any respect I had for one artist I follow and will probably remove from my watch lists shortly after making this post. Sorry, you cannot publicly condemn this AI nonsense as "lazy and stealing work from honest artists" then promote an adoptables drive the following day. Adoptables... literally the absolute LAZIEST way to make art without automation. And don't even get me started on how Adoptables are essentially NFTs now.
Anyway, here's my critique of the arguments against Creative AI.
"You're just pressing buttons"- Not.... exactly. While there are options to enter prompts and just let the AI go nuts, I've seen at least one program that allows you to upload an image and direct the AI to work from that. Likewise, back when I experimented with AI*, the interface for talking to it was a word processor similar to Microsoft Word. So yeah I was pressing buttons, but I already press buttons on a typewriter or in Word or its countless clones so not a good argument there either. This distinction becomes important in the next argument.
"It's not your art"- Again, not exactly... Sure, things are going to get murky with "art by prompt" pieces and if you upload someone else's art (especially that you did not pay for) then you are a complete dick. However, if I upload a piece of art that I drew myself, especially if it's a picture of something that is more or less uniquely my own creation, that's MY art. And if the AI spits out an improved digitized version of it in return for my devotion to the Machine Gods, that's still MY art. And if you think otherwise then you have a seriously messed up understanding of the word "mine."
"You're stealing work from other artists"- No I'm not because that's not how automation works and even if I was, I'm unfortunately past caring. First of all, the "art economy" of most of the art sites I'm on is not driven by commissions. It's driven by Patreon memberships and lazy template art (adoptables and Your Character Here-style art) that AI Art is thankfully rendering obsolete. On most of my sites, almost no one has done traditional commissions for at least ten years and most of my conversations suggest that this is pretty much the same everywhere. You either spam no talent template art, go professional, or get sponsored by Patreons to devote to personal projects that they enjoy as much as you do.
But Psion, you're a writer that will need an artist for- Yes I am a writer, and in 2018, I also took some art lessons and resolved to teach myself the rest of the tricks I needed to know so I don't have to EVER depend on another person for either professional illustrations or my own personal art fix. Because after ten years of actively commissioning and getting burnt by enough unprofessional behavior to keep a "Commissioners Beware" site busy for years (so many of you on Fur Affinity are LUCKY that I am not a drama queen,) the only artists remotely professional enough that I would consider hitting them up "for old-time's sake" are pretty much either dead, stopped doing art entirely, or retreated into their own personal projects and aren't taking outside work. So I turn to my own pencil and paper... and a Wacom tablet I really need to sit down and troubleshoot so I can figure out why it stopped talking to my computer. I'm turning to my own devices and letting the rest of the art community burn. Because does it ever deserve to.
*Yes, I briefly experimented with AI a few months back to see what it was like and if it would help my writing. Ultimately I was disappointed by the program but I still made the attempt. After all, you can't tell me that some glorified Speak and Spell is going to be my replacement and not expect me to test and ultimately try to break your damn toy. And the fact that AI was broken right out of the box for me is why I honestly think this drama is being blown grossly out of proportion.
Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to give a damn about the critics. Even recently lost any respect I had for one artist I follow and will probably remove from my watch lists shortly after making this post. Sorry, you cannot publicly condemn this AI nonsense as "lazy and stealing work from honest artists" then promote an adoptables drive the following day. Adoptables... literally the absolute LAZIEST way to make art without automation. And don't even get me started on how Adoptables are essentially NFTs now.
Anyway, here's my critique of the arguments against Creative AI.
"You're just pressing buttons"- Not.... exactly. While there are options to enter prompts and just let the AI go nuts, I've seen at least one program that allows you to upload an image and direct the AI to work from that. Likewise, back when I experimented with AI*, the interface for talking to it was a word processor similar to Microsoft Word. So yeah I was pressing buttons, but I already press buttons on a typewriter or in Word or its countless clones so not a good argument there either. This distinction becomes important in the next argument.
"It's not your art"- Again, not exactly... Sure, things are going to get murky with "art by prompt" pieces and if you upload someone else's art (especially that you did not pay for) then you are a complete dick. However, if I upload a piece of art that I drew myself, especially if it's a picture of something that is more or less uniquely my own creation, that's MY art. And if the AI spits out an improved digitized version of it in return for my devotion to the Machine Gods, that's still MY art. And if you think otherwise then you have a seriously messed up understanding of the word "mine."
"You're stealing work from other artists"- No I'm not because that's not how automation works and even if I was, I'm unfortunately past caring. First of all, the "art economy" of most of the art sites I'm on is not driven by commissions. It's driven by Patreon memberships and lazy template art (adoptables and Your Character Here-style art) that AI Art is thankfully rendering obsolete. On most of my sites, almost no one has done traditional commissions for at least ten years and most of my conversations suggest that this is pretty much the same everywhere. You either spam no talent template art, go professional, or get sponsored by Patreons to devote to personal projects that they enjoy as much as you do.
But Psion, you're a writer that will need an artist for- Yes I am a writer, and in 2018, I also took some art lessons and resolved to teach myself the rest of the tricks I needed to know so I don't have to EVER depend on another person for either professional illustrations or my own personal art fix. Because after ten years of actively commissioning and getting burnt by enough unprofessional behavior to keep a "Commissioners Beware" site busy for years (so many of you on Fur Affinity are LUCKY that I am not a drama queen,) the only artists remotely professional enough that I would consider hitting them up "for old-time's sake" are pretty much either dead, stopped doing art entirely, or retreated into their own personal projects and aren't taking outside work. So I turn to my own pencil and paper... and a Wacom tablet I really need to sit down and troubleshoot so I can figure out why it stopped talking to my computer. I'm turning to my own devices and letting the rest of the art community burn. Because does it ever deserve to.
*Yes, I briefly experimented with AI a few months back to see what it was like and if it would help my writing. Ultimately I was disappointed by the program but I still made the attempt. After all, you can't tell me that some glorified Speak and Spell is going to be my replacement and not expect me to test and ultimately try to break your damn toy. And the fact that AI was broken right out of the box for me is why I honestly think this drama is being blown grossly out of proportion.
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