The world of visuals is, without a question, flooded with too much content. There are many individuals I know that are involved in the field of AI art. American artist Roger Ballen, now based in Johannesburg, South Africa, says that he sees it on Instagram or Facebook, and some of the photos have stayed in his brain. Therefore, I believe they are effective in communicating an aesthetic message from one individual to another. Is it significant that they were able to do this, and if so, how?
Artificial intelligence (AI) produced artwork is an integral aspect of Web3, the metaverse, and the use of AI algorithms in a variety of fields. David Holz, inventor of Midjourney, claims that company owners, game designers, and those working in the film industry all utilize the software for storyboarding, planning, and content production. Still, it’s not all that can be done with artificial intelligence in the arts. The Economist credited Midjourney as the artist for one of their 2022 covers, while The Atlantic utilized AI-generated artwork for an editorial rather than commissioning an illustration.
The legal system has not kept pace with the development of AI. Artwork produced by AI is not protected by copyright laws since it was not created by a person. Getty Images has restricted the selling of AI generative artwork made using image synthesis models to prevent any legal difficulties. It’s almost hard to arrive at a definitive answer due to the myriad of factors involved, such as the image’s aesthetics, its message, the kind of artwork it is, where the information originated from, and how it was put together. I can’t tell you where one thing stops and another one starts.
But, could it be considered art?
I’m the kind of person who believes in the autonomy of the work, that you don’t really need to know anything about the artist, the location, the period – anything. Whether or whether you have any knowledge in any area is irrelevant. Art should make you feel as though you’ve just touched a beautiful flower. You don’t have to be a botanist to appreciate the art; what important is your reaction to it as a whole, including the scent, the feel, and the imprint of color.