I share the yearning described in this post. Like, AI is the coolest thing possibly ever when viewed with fresh eyes, and it opens so many creative possibilities. Yes, path dependencies of its creation mean that most AI engines are corporatized/sanitized in ways that are anathema to artistic expression, but that’s temporary. Even now, if you care to get technical, you can make some spectacular things. Even a few years ago! I wrote about this[1] with Nostalgebraist’s old tumblr bot as a case study a month or so ago—glad to see I’m not alone in the sentiment.
I absolutely agree that this is the right frame for AI and art. At the same time, it seems worth recognizing the many artists who have put tens or hundreds of thousands of hours into improving, say, their painting technique, and don’t want to switch to figuring out how to prompt or curating style refs. I think that’s a very reasonable reaction on their part! I expect the world won’t accommodate their preferences, but I support them in trying.
I share the yearning described in this post. Like, AI is the coolest thing possibly ever when viewed with fresh eyes, and it opens so many creative possibilities. Yes, path dependencies of its creation mean that most AI engines are corporatized/sanitized in ways that are anathema to artistic expression, but that’s temporary. Even now, if you care to get technical, you can make some spectacular things. Even a few years ago! I wrote about this[1] with Nostalgebraist’s old tumblr bot as a case study a month or so ago—glad to see I’m not alone in the sentiment.
In fact, I think it’s the best Substack post I’ve written, or at least my favorite.
I absolutely agree that this is the right frame for AI and art. At the same time, it seems worth recognizing the many artists who have put tens or hundreds of thousands of hours into improving, say, their painting technique, and don’t want to switch to figuring out how to prompt or curating style refs. I think that’s a very reasonable reaction on their part! I expect the world won’t accommodate their preferences, but I support them in trying.