Generative AI: Hollow Art

Written for Strike Magazine 10/16/2024

Generative AI has completely invaded our digital landscape, to the point where it’s almost impossible to browse most social media sites without stumbling onto– or being tricked by– an image generated by artificial intelligence. Technology itself is developing at a meteoric rate, with AI-generated images today being vastly more realistic than those from just a year ago. The velocity at which AI is developing and nestling itself as commonplace in our modern society raises eyebrows among many, but especially those who create art for a living.

The name “generative AI” can be misleading. It suggests that the program is creating completely original work based on the prompt it is given. But in reality, AI is completely incapable of creating original work and can only create images and content based on the information it is trained on. This has raised considerable alarm among independent artists, whose work– often made publicly available online– are being replicated by machines without regard for copyright or creative ownership. For many artists who make their living through commissioned work, this technology poses a direct threat to their income.

Writers for film and television have voiced similar concerns. During the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, one of the key issues was AI’s role in the creative process. Being one of the first creative unions to tackle the AI beast head on, WGA writers attempted to have regulations put in place to prevent AI being used to cut staff and push writers out of their jobs.

The writers were successful in their efforts and on Sep. 27, 2023, the 148-day strike ended with the guild having nearly all their demands met. However, despite their triumph, many remain weary of the future of the film industry. Now, many artists are facing the same fears that writers had last year– the risk of being sidelined by AI technology that reproduces, rather than creates.

Some defenders of AI argue that it makes art more accessible–allowing people to create without needing traditional skills or formal training, and without the financial cost often associated with art. While this perspective frames AI as inclusive, it glosses over the deeper creative and inherently human value that defines true art.

Reducing the creative process to a mere execution of themes and mediums ignores the emotional labor, vision, and personal experience that goes into creating an original piece of art. Although art is always referential and contextual, only the human mind can approach ideas in an original and artistic sense. Having an idea and then going through the effort of finding the right way to communicate it is an act that machines could never replicate.

Even if generative AI were able to mimic our human ability to innovate through art, to add stylistic flair and human touch, it’s difficult to see why anyone would want to cut humans out of the creative process at all. Other than being motivated by profit margins, the capitalistic drive to reduce costs misses the point: art is about human connection, expression, and the joy of creation. Why diminish something so essential for the sake of efficiency?

Art not only brings catharsis and fulfillment to its creator but also sparks connection and emotional resonance with its audience. Even art that disgusts us can trigger conversation and growth, because no matter how bleak it seems, the creator had a goal in mind and work was put toward realizing it, and the things that trigger disdain within us are worth investigating as well.

If we cut artists out of the picture we are left with a hollow shell of what is the pinnacle of humanity. The wonder we feel when looking at Michelangelo’s pristine sculptures does not come from the fact that a man can be made out of marble, but the fact that a man was able to transform a block of marble and bring forward life. AI can only ever make a cheap copy of the layered and fascinating process that an artist takes on when creating their work.

Strike Out,

Monica Ayesa Rodriguez