I'm Losing My Art Job to AI...What I'm Doing About it

Summary

In this video, freelance illustrator Holly discusses the growing impact of AI on the creative industry, particularly for artists, illustrators, and other creatives. She highlights concerns about AI-generated art devaluing human-made work, job displacement, and the concentration of power in big tech companies. Despite the challenges, Holly emphasizes the importance of human creativity, storytelling, and community in sustaining artistic careers. She advocates for Universal Basic Income (UBI) to support displaced workers and suggests that artists can compete with AI by focusing on their unique voices, personal growth, and meaningful connections with their audience.

Takeaways

• 😀 The rise of AI-generated art poses a threat to creative professionals, particularly illustrators, as AI can replicate styles and produce art more quickly and cheaply.
• 😀 AI art models are trained by scraping artists' work from the internet without their consent, leading to concerns over copyright infringement and the devaluation of human-made art.
• 😀 While AI art may be convenient, it lacks the personal journey and growth that human-made art represents, which is a key aspect of its value.
• 😀 The widespread adoption of AI art could lead to increased hyper-consumption of art, resulting in lower quality, less meaningful engagement, and diminished respect for the creative process.
• 😀 AI is controlled by large tech corporations, and despite claims of democratizing creativity, it remains concentrated in the hands of a few powerful entities, undermining the potential for true accessibility.
• 😀 Universal Basic Income (UBI) is proposed as a potential solution for artists and workers displaced by automation, providing financial support without conditions, ensuring people can still earn regardless of job loss.
• 😀 AI's potential to generate wealth and productivity should benefit the broader society, with artists receiving royalties for their contributions to AI’s development.
• 😀 To compete with AI, artists need to emphasize the human aspects of their work—personal stories, processes, and unique voices that AI cannot replicate.
• 😀 The future may see a shift towards valuing human craftsmanship over AI-generated content, with handmade art and creativity becoming a luxury due to its personal narrative and connection.
• 😀 Collaboration, community support, and the unique voice of the artist are crucial for survival in an AI-dominated creative world. Artists can thrive by sharing their personal experiences and perspectives in their work.

Q & A

What does Holly mean by being a 'conveyor about of painting'?

Holly refers to herself as a 'conveyor about of painting' because her freelance work typically involves creating a large volume of illustrations for various products, such as board games, cards, educational tools, books, magazines, packaging, and branding. The term reflects the high-output, commissioned nature of her job, which is sometimes less about personal creative exploration and more about fulfilling briefs.

How does AI impact artists' work according to Holly?

Holly highlights that AI generative art has the ability to replicate styles, including hers, by scraping images from the internet. This means that AI can generate art that mimics human-created styles, threatening the livelihood of artists. This is because AI can produce work quickly and cheaply, undermining the value of human-made art and contributing to job insecurity within creative industries.

Why does Holly mention Universal Basic Income (UBI) in the context of AI and the creative industry?

Holly mentions Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a potential solution to the job displacement caused by AI. She believes UBI could help artists and workers in creative industries who are affected by AI technology by providing financial security, especially since AI benefits from human-created art without compensating the artists. UBI could serve as compensation for the work AI models are built upon.

What is the primary concern about the use of AI in creative industries?

The primary concern is that AI could devalue human-made art by oversaturating the market with low-cost, instantly generated content. As AI art becomes more normalized, consumers may stop asking for credits to be given to human illustrators, diminishing the recognition and value of original, human-created art.

How does Holly describe the potential future of AI-generated art in the publishing industry?

Holly predicts that in the future, AI-generated art will be more widely accepted within the publishing industry, as it becomes more normalized and less stigmatized. Eventually, consumers may no longer seek out human illustrators, and instead, product creators will simply rely on AI to produce art, leading to a loss of recognition for human contributors.

What does Holly see as the biggest negative aspect of AI in the creative industry?

Holly views the rapid advancement of AI and its potential to replace human jobs in creative industries as the biggest negative aspect. Specifically, she highlights the lack of financial and social support for workers facing displacement and the ethical issue of AI using human-generated art without consent or compensation.

How does Holly think AI-generated art could affect the value of art?

Holly believes that AI-generated art will contribute to the oversaturation of the art market, which will lead to a devaluation of art in general. With AI being able to produce high-quality art instantly, the distinction between human-created and AI-generated content could become blurred, lowering the perceived value of human artistry.

What role does storytelling play in competing with AI-generated art?

Holly argues that storytelling and the human connection behind art are key to competing with AI-generated art. While AI can replicate styles and produce quick results, it lacks the personal narrative, growth, and emotional depth that human artists infuse into their work. She suggests that artists should focus on sharing their creative process and stories, which are irreplaceable by machines.

How does Holly suggest artists can survive the rise of AI in the art world?

Holly suggests that artists can survive by emphasizing the human aspects of creativity—such as their personal growth, stories, and unique voices. Artists should also foster community support, share their process, and focus on creating art that has a deep connection to place, culture, and human experience. This will help maintain the value of human-made art even as AI becomes more prevalent.

What is the potential long-term impact of AI on workers in creative industries, according to Holly?

Holly foresees that AI could lead to mass technological unemployment, especially for vulnerable workers with low pay and precarious conditions. AI is poised to replace many jobs in creative industries, and without safeguards like Universal Basic Income (UBI), these workers could face financial insecurity and a loss of livelihood.