With all the fuzz about IA image “stealing” illustrator job, I am curious about how much photography changed the art world in the 19th century.
There was a time where getting a portrait done was a relatively big thing, requiring several days of work for a painter, while you had to stand still for a while so the painter knew what you looked like, and then with photography, all you had to do was to stand still for a few minutes, and you’ll get a picture of you printed on paper the next day.
How did it impact the average painter who was getting paid to paint people once in their lifetime.
It’s difficult for me to make a prediction like that. I figure the next generation of artists- which we’ll see mature in some 20 years- is going to be nothing like what we’ve seen so far. I believe having actual skills in art will become irrelevant and outdated. It will survive, the same way we still have people enjoying horse riding and archery but it won’t be a determining factor on art as a final product.
Humans will surely be directing the way art evolves but AI will do the heavy lifting. Considering we have technology capable of putting thought (and I mean brain activity, not words, but actually thoughts) into images and words, it’s just matter of time before art becomes something anyone can produce just by thinking about it.
The problem for me isn’t so much copyright or how it will evolve, but this sudden transition phase which will drive to extinction the process of art as we know it. Well established artists today are probably going to stay the same, and the new ones as I mentioned will grow up with these new technologies so that won’t be a problem, long term.
My concern goes for artists who just got started and who can’t embrace AI as part of the process. It’s gonna be rough. It’s like asking someone to stop listening to their favorite music and switch to some new genre they have no love for. Considering artists are usually more sensitive (psychologically) than people without artistic inclinations, I’m worried for their mental health, not just the financial. AI is damaging the sense of self worth of many talented people and that’s going to have consequences.
I feel like people will still continue to draw/paint etc. for the enjoyment of it but perhaps it will be a less viable career choice. Current artists will feel more and more pressured to incorporate some level of AI generation into their process, before they become overtaken by those who have adapted. That could start out as people using AI generated textures or backgrounds within their art for example.
