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Description
I've kept relatively quiet about the recent emergence of artificial intelligence work on the internet. While I didn't like where it was going, I didn't really feel the need to speak up; it just didn't feel personal. But after seeing just how explosive AI content has been, and seeing it emerge in ways that really rub me the wrong way, I've decided to throw in my two cents. Why now? Let me explain:

The first emergence of AI content on the internet, and still the most popular I think, was AI-generated art. Many artists voiced their concerns that this would cheapen all their hard work and make them seem superfluous. While some of the AI artwork I've seen looks pretty good, I definitely agree with artists on this. Artificial intelligence can NOT replicate the heart and soul that goes into creating art. Despite the alarm this raised, however, I didn't fret too much about it, since it was just one of many creative outlets, and it would probably be a long time before this trend reached others.

I could not believe how wrong I was. In just a short span of time, AI expanded from art generation to voice replication, supermodel generation, and...writing fiction?! THAT is where I draw the line. Like I said, I was never on board with AI, but seeing it expand and slither into every possible creative outlet so rapidly shocked me. And once Facebook ads started to try and tempt me with AI generated writing, I suddenly realized just how right artists were to be worried about their work. Making money from creating art is already a risky venture, but when a written script can do in seconds what human hands take hours, if not days, to do, it makes the risk that much greater. Why commission an artist to take a few days to create something when you can just punch in a few digits into a script and have said-script do it in mere seconds? It's much more efficient, and you can reap the same reward.

And THAT is the deadly lie that lurks behind the promise of AI. Whether an artist draws, paints, writes, sings, or acts, the art itself IS the reward. When a painter finishes their painting and looks at their finished work, they find satisfaction from what they've created. When a singer finishes a performance or a studio recording, they feel exhilarated. When I finish a piece of writing, be it a scene, a paragraph, or a 500-page novel (still working on that last one), I feel like I'm on cloud nine. The ART is the reward, NOT the money you make off of it.

I know this sentiment is far from universal, as some artists do work more for the money than for the art, but many people who create art are passionate about it and pour their heart and soul into it. This can make them good money, making art very profitable for those who are good at it. Unfortunately, many companies who make profits off of art have placed the value of profit above the value of art, and it's caused the art itself to stagnate and lose everything that people loved about it (I'm not pointing any fingers here, but don't lie; you can think of an example somewhere in the world right about now). So yeah, artists are completely right to be worried about how this will affect their future and whether they will be able to continue making a living off of doing what they love.

*sigh* I miss when Mega Man made AI look cool.

Description
I've kept relatively quiet about the recent emergence of artificial intelligence work on the internet. While I didn't like where it was going, I didn't really feel the need to speak up; it just didn't feel personal. But after seeing just how explosive AI content has been, and seeing it emerge in ways that really rub me the wrong way, I've decided to throw in my two cents. Why now? Let me explain:

The first emergence of AI content on the internet, and still the most popular I think, was AI-generated art. Many artists voiced their concerns that this would cheapen all their hard work and make them seem superfluous. While some of the AI artwork I've seen looks pretty good, I definitely agree with artists on this. Artificial intelligence can NOT replicate the heart and soul that goes into creating art. Despite the alarm this raised, however, I didn't fret too much about it, since it was just one of many creative outlets, and it would probably be a long time before this trend reached others.

I could not believe how wrong I was. In just a short span of time, AI expanded from art generation to voice replication, supermodel generation, and...writing fiction?! THAT is where I draw the line. Like I said, I was never on board with AI, but seeing it expand and slither into every possible creative outlet so rapidly shocked me. And once Facebook ads started to try and tempt me with AI generated writing, I suddenly realized just how right artists were to be worried about their work. Making money from creating art is already a risky venture, but when a written script can do in seconds what human hands take hours, if not days, to do, it makes the risk that much greater. Why commission an artist to take a few days to create something when you can just punch in a few digits into a script and have said-script do it in mere seconds? It's much more efficient, and you can reap the same reward.

And THAT is the deadly lie that lurks behind the promise of AI. Whether an artist draws, paints, writes, sings, or acts, the art itself IS the reward. When a painter finishes their painting and looks at their finished work, they find satisfaction from what they've created. When a singer finishes a performance or a studio recording, they feel exhilarated. When I finish a piece of writing, be it a scene, a paragraph, or a 500-page novel (still working on that last one), I feel like I'm on cloud nine. The ART is the reward, NOT the money you make off of it.

I know this sentiment is far from universal, as some artists do work more for the money than for the art, but many people who create art are passionate about it and pour their heart and soul into it. This can make them good money, making art very profitable for those who are good at it. Unfortunately, many companies who make profits off of art have placed the value of profit above the value of art, and it's caused the art itself to stagnate and lose everything that people loved about it (I'm not pointing any fingers here, but don't lie; you can think of an example somewhere in the world right about now). So yeah, artists are completely right to be worried about how this will affect their future and whether they will be able to continue making a living off of doing what they love.

*sigh* I miss when Mega Man made AI look cool.