Recently, sharing AI artwork on Instagram has become a popular trend. I’ve mostly seen portraits of friends and family members in whimsical settings and cartoon depictions of their faces, but not all AI is capable of capturing a photo’s true essence. Various programs have gone viral for creating artwork on the spot after users insert a few buzz words or prompts, but all of this technology is not created equal. Clearly, whatever program was used to create the pics on this list needs a bit of work...
Artificial Intelligence is a fascinating topic that’s outside of the realm of most people’s expertise, so to learn more about the role AI can play in artists’ lives, we reached out to painter Agnieszka Pilat. Agnieszka says that machines are her subject and has experience incorporating robots into her work, so we wanted to gain some insight from her on her artistic process.
We first asked Agnieszka how she feels about AI being used to create art, and she began with a quote from media theorist Marshall McLuhan. “We drive into the future using only our rear view mirror.”
“The controversy surrounding AI using training data from human artists to create art stems from the fact that we can’t see the future forms of art yet,” Agnieszka explained. “Yes, it feels outrageous and violating to discover that machine learning algorithms use man-made art to make images, but these images reflect the past. As artists, we will use these new tools to make original, entirely new forms of art. AI can’t do that - it is simulating the past, not the future.”
We also wanted to learn more about Agnieszka’s unique artistic process. “In my artistic practice, I use robots including Boston Dynamic’s Spot and Agility Robotic’s Digit, which use AI to solve spatial problems and do so by making certain decisions without my intervention,” she told Bored Panda.
“I am proud to say that art created with my robots is original and not trained on datasets from other artists due to the fact that these industrial robots aren’t made to create art,” Agnieszka added. “The paradox that robot made art is original, unique and not mass produced in contrast to the natural function of the machine (un-original, repetitive and mass produced) is crucial to my concepts.”
We also asked Agnieszka if there were any misconceptions about AI art that she would like to dispel. “I think there are misconceptions surrounding the historical timeline of AI,” she shared. “Contrary to popular belief, AI art is not a new phenomenon. Artists and engineers have experimented with it since the 70s. For example, Harold Cohen created AARON - a language that created the first generation of computer-generated art. Using AARON, Cohen produced thousands of drawings at many different scales, from letter-sized paper to massive murals. This included drawings eventually exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.”
We then asked Agnieszka if she would be willing to share any tips for artists interested in experimenting with AI for their future projects. “The word ‘experimenting’ is key!” she told Bored Panda. “Because the tools that allow artists to use AI change so fast, no one truly is an expert in the field. Therefore, my suggestion is to have an open mind and play with tools that feel right and appealing to you. There are no standards that have emerged yet, so this is a very exciting time to jump into the field. However, unlike the AI algorithm, don't copy - make it yours and make it original. Don't feel pressured to follow a trend and focus on making great work to start your own trend.”
Agnieszka also mentioned that it’s only natural for artists to lead the debate on the ethics of AI. “Marshall McLuhan wrote, ‘I think of art, at its most significant, as a DEW line, a Distant Early Warning system that can always be relied on to tell the old culture what is beginning to happen to it.’ The flood of avatars from Lensa this past month brought to the forefront of the public forum what otherwise would perhaps have gone unnoticed.”
If you’re interested in checking out Agnieszka’s amazing paintings and learning more about her process collaborating with robots, be sure to visit her website right here!
