Hello loves,
So, A.I art is here and it's not going away. At first when I started seeing the art that it was creating I was blown away by just how beautiful it was. Then I saw it getting even better and it made me feel inspired, for like a day. Then, the reality hit of how much this was going to change the industry and then I got very, very nervous. Essentially you don't need any artistic skill. Just a few words from a prompt and it will do all the heavy lifting for you. The years I have spent honing my skills and practicing endlessly are not only throw out but out done in terms of execution by a few words in a computor program. A.I art is faster, cheaper and more often than not more perfectly exectured. I could say that it's soulless but then, let's not pretend that the companies who will use this instead of artists will give a shit about “soul”.
So where does this leave us? Our entire econimic landscape has just changed and like all change I think we can find an invitation within it. One in which we actually take care of each other. I have long been irritated by artists competing with each other. I saw it ferociously when I was making music and I've seen it in art too. We have collectively forgotten that we are a community and I've seen so many of us behave in ways that have turned my stomach over the years. I am fully aware that I might be being naïve here, that the idea of a creative collective that connects makers all over the world might be a bit “kum ba yah” but right now what other options do we have? If we don't look out for each other who will?
Raging against A.I art is like the horse and cart raging against the car. The change has happened already and all that's left is for us to adapt. It won't stop me painting, making, creating or being inspired. It might impact my money from it but I am a resourceful person. I am willing to work to support my art. Thankfully for me it's a side business but it is one that I would like to see continue to thrive and grow. My major concern is how this will effect younger artists. Are they going to think careers in art are pointless the more and more money that is taken out of it?
Art matters. Artists matter but let's not pretend. We have rarely mattered to big business and they will show us this quickly over the next few years. The opportunity here is for us to work extra hard at showing that artists matter to each other. I have no idea all of the big changes that are coming because I think we are in the middle of them right now. What we need is to hold on to each other and keep going forward.
Keep making. Keep holding on to each other. Keep going.
Onward,
Ryan James x