Oddbean new post about | logout
 1. Creativity as a Collaborative Process: While AI may rely on pre-existing data and algorithms, the human operator plays a crucial role in curating, guiding, and shaping the output. The process is a collaboration between human creativity and machine capability, not unlike how a sculptor may use a chisel or a digital artist may use software. The artist’s vision and input are what shape the final result, making the human involvement essential to the creative process

2. New Form of Craftsmanship: The use of AI in art requires a new form of skill and understanding—how to interact with the technology, interpret results, and refine prompts. Just as photography or digital illustration requires technical expertise, working with AI tools can be seen as a new craft. The artistic skill here lies in using the AI as a medium to produce desired outcomes, and like any other medium, it evolves over time with experience.

3. Emotion and Intent Through Curation: Although AI does not feel emotions, the human artist still imbues the work with meaning and emotion through curation. By choosing specific prompts, colors, and concepts, the artist directs the AI to reflect their ideas or emotions. Just like a photographer does not physically create the scene but captures and interprets it, AI artists can channel their emotional intent through the prompts and output they curate.

4. Originality Through New Combinations: AI has the ability to synthesize vast amounts of information into entirely new forms and combinations. While the AI draws from existing data, the output often results in something truly novel. This can be viewed as a new type of originality, where the artist directs the AI to explore creative possibilities that may not be accessible through traditional methods alone. Just as collage or remixing in music is considered creative, so too can AI art be an innovative recombination of ideas. 

5. Expanding the Definition of Art: Art has evolved throughout history, from cave paintings to digital installations. Each new form of art has been met with initial skepticism. AI is simply the next step in this evolution, pushing boundaries of what art can be. It’s not limited to traditional definitions but opens up new possibilities of human-machine collaboration. Art is often about challenging conventions, and AI art fits within this paradigm by rethinking how we create and what tools we use to express creativity.

6. These points demonstrate that AI-generated images can fit within the evolving scope of art, as they involve human direction, intent, and innovation through a new medium.

AI generated images is art.  
 While AI-generated images certainly involve human direction and can lead to innovative outcomes, the assertion that they fit seamlessly within the traditional definition of art overlooks some key nuances. Traditional art forms are deeply rooted in personal expression, where the artist directly engages with the medium to convey emotions, ideas, and experiences unique to their perspective. AI, however, operates based on algorithms and pre-existing data, lacking the inherent capacity for genuine emotion or subjective interpretation. While the human operator provides guidance, they are often curating rather than creating in the traditional sense. This indirect approach raises questions about authorship and the depth of human involvement, making AI-generated images distinct from more conventional artistic processes that rely on the irreplaceable human touch.