We can use AI to inspire us but not to replace true creativity." - Solly
How can you create art with AI tools? Can you tell the difference between human-made art and AI-generated images? And what about the legal and ethical questions everyone is talking about? Addy and Solly investigate.
EMMA-LOUISE: You've spent loads of time on a design or artwork. You share it on your socials and then someone feeds that into a generative AI system. Where does it go and who owns the result?
We're going to give a generative AI model a challenge to see how well it can mimic Addy’s art. This AI incorporates computer vision, a technology that allows computers to see and understand what's in images. It then uses that information to make decisions, or in this case, recognise patterns to create similar art.
ADDY: I'm going to upload my art and ask the AI app to create three original pieces in the style of my image. Let's see…
Whoa. I like how it's kept the texture.
SOLLY: Yeah, it's made it a little turtle.
ADDY: Yeah, it's still really, it does look like a drawing.
EMMA-LOUISE: And it's copied the jacket.
ADDY: It's got the whole atomic thing.
SOLLY: It's like the face of the panda and the comet…
ADDY: It just looks wrong.
SOLLY: It doesn't have an idea.
EMMA-LOUISE: It doesn't fit. And is that a flower or a candle?
ADDY: Yeah.
SOLLY: You shouldn't play with fire like that.
ADDY: And why would you be holding just a candle?
EMMA-LOUISE: Yeah. How does seeing these make you feel?
ADDY: It feels like a machine has taken the most recognisable part of my art. But it's not quite right, and it also feels a bit repetitive.
EMMA-LOUISE: So, the AI tool doesn't really understand the creative process. It can't feel anything or experience life at first-hand, so some creative decisions might feel a bit strange. It's remixing yours and other artists' work without really understanding it.
SOLLY: So when you upload your picture, it spots patterns in your style?
EMMA-LOUISE: Yes, and it also compares it to other styles in its dataset to generate new images. One big question is whether the original creators, like you, should be compensated when their work is used in training data. This is the same for written works, photography, music, voice, and more.
ADDY: But if a generative AI is trained on work it has permission to use, who actually owns the output?
EMMA-LOUISE: Another great question. This raises three important questions. Have people given permission for their work to be used in training AI? Who owns the outputs that AI creates? And should original creators be compensated when their work helps train these systems? These are the ethical questions we need to keep asking as AI becomes more widely used.
ADDY: It's good to know that AI is only mimicking art and can't be truly creative like humans, though.
SOLLY: Hopefully, as AI becomes more commonplace, people agree what it means for the big issues. In the meantime, we can use AI to inspire us, but not to replace true creativity, and even learn to collaborate with AI as a creative partner.
AI and art essentials
- You can use AI tools to generate images that imitate the style of your art. When you upload your designs to an AI tool, it uses computer vision - a technology that helps computers to “see” and identify objects in an image - to spot patterns in your artistic style and to generate similar images.
- AI can be used as a creative tool. But remember it’s a computer program - it doesn’t “feel” anything. It can’t create art based on human experiences or emotions (because it doesn’t have any!).
- Some artists are using AI as a tool for inspiration for the art they create, rather than replacing themselves. They’re creating art in a way they’d never be able to do before.
Tips for AI art creation
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Think of AI as a creative collaborator, or tool, just like a camera or paintbrush, not as an artist. | Upload other people’s artwork without permission and think very carefully about uploading your own. |
| Use AI to enhance your creative process. | Try to deceive people with AI generated art. |
| Use AI for inspiration for your art, not to replace it. | Forget to flex your own creative muscles and make art in a way you enjoy. |
