When the New Michelangelo Has a Robot Helper | Issue #14
Man vs. machine on art and creativity
4 MINS READ
Humans have used art to reflect creativity, emotion, and ingenuity for thousands of years. But in recent years, a new artist has joined the scene: Artificial Intelligence.
In this issue, we'll dive into the relatively novel and intriguing world of AI-generated art and how it's reshaping our perception of creativity.
We'll also think through some of the questions it raises and the impact it's having on the art industry.
Read on.
500 years ago, the Sistine Chapel was unveiled to the public. As an art enthusiast, it was interesting to learn about this ambitious Pope-sponsored project that changed the direction of art forever.
While reading about Boticelli and the over-shadowing work of Michelangelo, I imagined sitting down to paint a masterpiece like that.
I learnt Michelangelo wasn't really a painter before he was contracted to repaint the Chapel's ceiling. Rather, he was an accomplished sculptor having previous done works like Pieta and David.
Michelangelo painted over 300 figures, starting first from the minor ones.
He was literally learning on the job!
He went this way, graduating to the grand figure — an image of God clad in characteristic serenity and billowing robes.
Now, imagine if Michelangelo had a creative companion guiding his hands as he brushed strokes into the ceiling of one of the most well-known Christian buildings.
Again, picture that you're Michelangelo. Except that your creative companion is not human but a machine – that's AI.
I love tinkering with AI tools and I have even used AI-generated art as stock image for this newsletter.1
It may sound strange, but AI is capable of producing art that challenges our traditional definitions of creativity.
When someone makes art with AI, who should get creative credit?
What is the essence of art even? Is it the process (or how we make it, the media, the tools), or is it the intention (what the art is for, it's purpose) or is it the result?
AI blurs these lines.
While talking with a friend on this topic about two months ago, we subtlely battled the topic for creativity. The conversation ended with him advocating for and me, resigning to AI's credit.
When someone makes art with AI, who should get creative credit?
However, I think that was a rushed decision. I have had to think about three frameworks to analyzing AI art:
The Creative Process:
AI doesn't experience emotions, but it learns from human-created art. It can analyze thousands of paintings, mimic styles, and generate new pieces. This can be seen as a process of imitation, but does that make it less creative?
The Artist's Intention:
AI doesn't have intentions or desires. It doesn't create with a purpose or message. It simply follows algorithms. Does this lack of intention diminish the value of the art it produces?
3. The Art Itself:
AI can create stunning visuals that is most times indistinguishable from human art. But does it lack the soul that human artists infuse into their work?
The ‘Collabo’ is Selling For Tons
Many artists are embracing AI as a collaborator. They input ideas, styles, and themes, and the AI helps bring them to life. It's a partnership of human creativity and AI's vast data-driven potential. This collaboration challenges the notion of a singular artist.
AI art is selling for substantial amounts. Christie's, a top auction gallery, auctioned an AI-generated portrait for $432,500. One AI artist's work won a photography competition. People are making NFTs from AI art too.
Our traditional notions of value in art are being challenged in real time as buyers are acquiring both the art and the technology behind it.
The Future of Art
What do I think about all of these?
AI is not here to replace human artists. It's just a tool, a new color on the artist's palette. Well, like cameras and Photoshop before it.
As the line between human and AI-generated art gets blurrier, the question is, should it even matter?
Art, it seems, is evolving, and the future promises exciting and unexpected creations. As I browse literally hundreds of AI works daily, I see potential for genius and even timeless pieces that just showcase the beauty of what humans can do with our brains - the primal and ultimate tool.
So, next time you admire a stunning painting or a mesmerizing piece of music, ponder whether it was created by a human, a machine, or a beautiful fusion of both.
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Did You Know
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AI Image of the Day
I appreciate your support. Share to your friends, comment on Substack, do all those lovely things …
We'll do more on both sides, right?
Yeah.
So, until tomorrow,
With love and digital ink,
Emmanuel
When you see an image caption with "by Emmanuel PaulMaah, you should know I had some help from our AI friends