the most hurtful thing about the rise of AI art, to me, is that the importance of lived human experience is up for debate.
you could say a lot about the ethical implications of it all and how it negatively impacts actual artists—how their work is being stolen and fed to bots without their permission, how they are losing ownership of their own artistic expression, how they're are losing their jobs because AI can "replace" them. but people will always find a way to talk their way around it. "if they didn't want people to use their art, they shouldn't be posting it online." "you can't own an artistic style." "the generated art piece is not actually their art. it's not stealing." and the real clincher: "i don't know what to tell you. that's just progress."
i feel like so many people see this issue through the lens of charlie bucket's dad getting fired from the toothpaste factory because a machine could place a cap on the tube more efficiently. but making art is not the same as screwing a cap onto a tube of toothpaste. it's emotional. it's meaningful. it's expressive. the end result is informed by the experiences and choices of the creator. and the viewer's experience is different knowing that a human is behind those choices—that there was real choice involved at all.
you could argue that AI art retains the inherent humanity of art, because it uses samples of real art made by real people—a whole collective pool of representative humanity. but it's not really the same. it's just an echo. an illusion. a mimic of life without the spark that actually makes it alive.
when i look at art, i want to think about the human behind it. i want to feel connected to them. i want to ponder their choices and notice their details and appreciate their skills. i want to look at it and feel something, because the artist felt something when they made it.
sometimes i see a cool piece of art and get excited. but when i realize it's AI, the emotion is gone. "what's the difference?" someone might ask. "if you liked it before, why don't you like it knowing it's AI? the image didn't change. it's still the same." and sure, visually it's the same. but emotionally it's not. i can't make a connection with it anymore. because there was no real intention behind it. i can't search for meaning in it, because there is none. when i look at AI art, even visually impressive art, i feel nothing. there's no wonder. there's no connection. the only possible feeling for me is, "wow, technology has come so far! neat."
it doesn't even have the appeal of "art" created by nature, like the Grand Canyon or the ocean or the night sky. those create a sense of wonder because there was no human involvement at all. the beauty came from the universe itself, and it feels like a gift from nothing and everything at once, and it's that beauty that so often inspires humans to make something in its likeness.
but AI art feels like a weird in-between of the art made with no hands and the art made with human hands. like pseudo-clay molded with empty gloves. it's sort of uncanny valley–ish. something almost human but not quite, so it always feels a little off. with human-made art, mistakes are understandable, expected, even endearing—a reminder that a person made this, and people are not perfect. but that weird offness of AI art just feels wrong. like a glitch in a simulation, reminding you that what you see was never real.
but really, even if AI was always completely indistinguishable from human-made art, the viewing experience would still be fundamentally changed. we make art to connect with each other, to see and be seen, to speak and to listen. but when i look at AI art, i don't know how to listen for a song. all i hear is the whir of cogs in a machine.
some people might point out that we're all just machines too. that AI's 1s and 0s are really no different from the synapses firing in our brains, and we draw inspiration from everything around us the same way AI draws from the samples in its generation bank. it's different to me, though. maybe i just feel this way because i myself am a creator, and i want to feel like i have something special to offer. but i have to believe there is meaning in the choices and expression of humans that there isn't in the choices of a program.
i'm sure this is just doomsday talk and it wouldn't actually happen, but the idea of AI eventually being handed the primary "creative" role over human beings is frankly devastating, even terrifying. i don't want to live in a world where all the art around me was generated automatically from a prompt and spat out onto a conveyer belt. it would be an inexpressible loss to me.
this isn't to say that AI doesn't have a place at all, or that we should abandon our exploration of technological advancement. i just hope that as this issue gets bigger, we remember the real point of art. when we are sad or lonely or angry, all of us turn to art. whether it's visual art or music or film or writing, art tells a story. we take comfort from the stories we tell each other, and it means something that those stories come from other people. art is and will always be a bridge between us and the rest of humankind.
so while our technology continues to develop, i hope we guard that bridge. I hope we protect the creative space of artists who want to tell stories. i hope we keep the demand for emotional expression high. i hope we honor the humanity of human-made art. if AI art is a truly reflection of us, i hope we keep looking toward the figure that cast the reflection, keep seeking the voice that started the echo.
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Ouu okay okay how about kunikida + another character of your choosing and "Where exactly do you think you're going?"
i spun a bsd character wheel, and it landed on tachihara!
Tachihara quietly closes the door to Jun's door behind him and lets out of a soft breath of relief.
"Where exactly do you think you're going?"
He freezes, then slowly turns around to see Kunikida with his arms crossed.
Da.mn, of all the people to catch him, it just had to be the one with a major stick up his a.ss, huh?
"Hey, man," he says, slowly raising his hands. "I was just, uh, dropping something off."
"This early?" Kunikida raises a brow.
"Yup." He pops his 'p'. "I'm an early riser. So, if you don't mind, I'll be on my way--"
Just as Tachihara is about to book it, he sees Kunikida's eyes land on his neck. His very bruised neck. His neck that is covered in bite marks and hand prints that he plans to cover up when he gets back to his place.
"If you think that's bad, you should see the other guy," he blurts out.
Kunikid's eyes widen, and Tachihara thinks now would be a good time to pass out or, perhaps, keel over a die.
"Sh.it."
"Sh.it indeed."
"Look, dude, we really don't need to get into this, okay? It's perfectly natural for enemies to hook up every once in awhile. The whole fighting this is sexy sometimes! Sue me!"
Kunikida does not seem impressed.
"Gah, look. Just... please don't tell anyone, okay? He isn't ready to be out yet and he's terrified of disappointing you so--"
"Tachihara-kun."
His mouth snaps shut.
"I'm not..." Kunikida drags a hand down his face. "I'm not disappointed. Just surprised and... just don't let it get in the way of work and for the love of God, please make sure Kenji-kun and Kyouka-kun don't walk into... anything."
Oh thank GOD.
"That won't happen, trust me. We usually do it at my place but Naomi-chan is away for the week, which you obviously know, and there's something kinda hot about sneaking around here."
Kunikida wrinkles his nose.
"I don't want to... whatever. Does Naomi-chan know?"
"Heh, no. Not yet, anyways."
Kunikida nods. "That's probably for the best. She's really smart, though. Dazai trained her for a bit, and Ranpo has taken her under his wing. It won't be a secret for long."
"Yeah, we kinda figured." He scratches the back of his neck. God, this is awkward.
The silence starts to get to him, and, because Tachihara has no impulse control, apparently, he snorts and says: "What you aren't going to threaten to kill me or anything?"
A slow grin starts slinking up Kunikida's face. "I don't see the point in wasting my time when I know that Naomi-chan will threaten you in a most effective manner."
Kunikida clears his throat before Tachihara can properly process the threat and adjusts his collar (but not before Tachihara sees a patch of yellow and purple...) and bows. "I trust you can see yourself out."
"Yes, sir, I can!"
He's not about to refuse the out Kunikida so graciously gave him, so he shoots Kunikida with finger guns and bolts down the hall calling, "Seeya!"
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