Does a Microwave Make me a Chef? Artificial Intelligence in Art – Opinion
In this video, Miyazaki expresses dismay when confronted by some of the faces behind the push for artificial intelligence (AI) being incorporated in the art world.
I wonder… Do these advocates for AI understand that they are pitching to Studio Ghibli the replacement of hired artists? For any work of animation that they believe AI can replicate, a percentage of work is lost to a workforce of passionate artists.
Is there a limit to the tasks these advocates believe should be automated? They don’t specify.
Their pitch to one of the most (the most, in my opinion) prestigious animation studios oozes of ignorance.
AI replicating animation and art begs the questions:
- What parts of the creative process do they think can be replicated? All of them?
- Assuming AI can ‘draw pictures like humans do’, should we celebrate it when it does?
- Why do we derive value from art?
- Can AI make you an artist?
- Would you watch an animated movie from Studio Ghibli if you knew no humans were involved in the making of the actual art?
- Would it still be Studio Ghibli?
- If you are using AI art to facilitate your drawings, what steps are you skipping to get to your final illustration? What skills are you not learning?
- What sets humans apart from AI when it comes to art? What are the limitations preventing AI from ‘drawing pictures like humans do?
- If we rely on AI to produce art and animation, how can we innovate in the subject?
My answers to questions on the left:
- I always assume these programmer people come in and ignorantly assume that ALL of the creative process can (and should) magically be replaced by a machine. My opinion on programmers like this is that they do not want to do the hard work to be an artist, but want to participate at the same time. I think it’s really sad that people want to replace the grindy parts of the creative process that I personally derive great satisfaction from.
- Given that AI art is an amalgamation of previously published art scraped from the internet, I believe it can never hold any new value.
- I think value from art can manifest itself in countless ways, all of which are directly tied to humanity. It’s hard to come up with a set definition of value when it comes to art. I like to see the part of the individual, their ‘style’, that shines through. And I would find it interesting to hear how that developed: what art/movies/events inspired them and seasoned their final recipe of style.
- With AI, I have no desire to learn about the inspiration that created the art. The algorithm chose X, Y, and Z anime to produce its output. OK? Now what? Do I follow the algorithm on Instagram? Do I look up their Wikipedia page? How am I supposed to feel any kind of emotional attachment?
- If you think a microwave makes you a chef, sure!
- If I suspect AI involved in the production of art, I do not engage with it. I have too many moral problems with the subject to ever participate. It takes work and attention away from actual human artists. What more disincentive would I need?
- Seriously, I can’t believe these clowns told this to Hayao Miyazaki and didn’t expect he’d go for all the kill shots that he did. It takes so much nerve!
- So many! Seriously, try to make an original piece of art from start to finish. There are so many things to consider such as composition, style, form, shading, color. It goes on and on. Using AI deprives you of engaging in these subjects and growing into a capable artist with skills you’ll be proud of.
- I think currently AI lacks the ability to be ‘creative’. It can create, but I’ve only seen it replicate with copyrighted material used as input to its algorithm. Humans have an amazing ability to use their experiences and preferences to shape something inspired and new!
- AI can never experience a bad day. It can never feel loss or trauma. Nostalgia of childhood. Longing, heartbreak, disappointment. It can never feel simple joys of life. A partner’s love. Cuddling a beloved pet. All-you-can-eat Hot Pot. It can never feel what it is like to fail or succeed. As Miyazaki says, what can a machine know of pain? According to Miyazaki, these deeply human experiences and feelings are at the heart of artistic expression.
- I think of the AI users (I just can’t and don’t think I’ll ever call them artists) who use editing software to photoshop multiple pieces together. Some have even won art competitions doing this, as was the case in a state fair in 2022 (https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/03/tech/ai-art-fair-winner-controversy/index.html). But still, when you do this, all your ‘clippings’ that you are using to make this final patchwork product… they’re not yours. At the end of the day, because all AI art uses web scraping, it will always be plagiarism.
Fafnar Studios 