How AI is Revolutionizing the World of Art | Henry Wang | TEDxYouth@ArbutusRidge

Summary

The speaker discusses the impact of AI on art, sharing personal experiences from their art exhibition and an encounter with a comic artist. They explore AI's role as a tool for inspiration, its limitations due to lack of human emotion and authenticity, and the potential risks of AI infringing on artists' originality. The speaker encourages young artists to use AI wisely, to enhance rather than replace the irreplaceable human touch in art.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The speaker's first solo art exhibition was titled 'Peace of My Mind', indicating a focus on personal introspection and creativity.
• 🖌️ A conversation with an older artist highlighted the generational differences in the use of technology in art, with the older artist expressing a sense of nostalgia for the pre-AI era.
• 🤖 The Forbes 2023 article mentioned suggests that AI art is the future, a viewpoint that the speaker seems to agree with, albeit with some reservations.
• 🚀 The speaker used AI art generators to overcome an art block, demonstrating the practical use of AI as a tool for inspiration in the creative process.
• 🧩 The AI-generated images, while beautiful, lacked the personal touch and authenticity that comes from human creation, underscoring the limitations of AI in art.
• 🚫 The speaker warns of AI's potential to devalue the originality and credibility of artists by indiscriminately mixing and matching elements from different artworks.
• 🔒 The analogy of AI as a 'jail cell' for artists suggests a concern that AI could limit creativity by confining artists to a narrow set of styles and ideas.
• 😢 AI's inability to replicate human emotions is a significant drawback in the field of art, where emotional expression is a core aspect of the artistic experience.
• 🌟 The human touch in art, as exemplified by the works of Vincent van Gogh, is something that AI art lacks, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of human creativity.
• 🚀 The speaker encourages young artists to use AI as a tool but not to let it control the essence of their art, advocating for a balance between technology and human creativity.
• 🌐 The current age is described as a 'golden age' of intersection between art and technology, calling for artists to navigate this new landscape with care and intention.

Q & A

What was the title of the speaker's first solo art exhibition?

The title of the speaker's first solo art exhibition was 'Peace of My Mind'.

What did the older artist imply when he mentioned that young people have everything in art?

The older artist implied that modern artists have access to technology and AI tools that were not available in his time, which can aid in creating art more efficiently and effectively.

What did the speaker use AI for when facing an art block?

The speaker used AI art generators like Sora bang image generator, Google image generator, and Chad GPT Pro to get inspiration and overcome an art block.

What was the title of the artwork the speaker created during their art block?

The title of the artwork the speaker created during their art block was 'Mythos'.

What is the speaker's view on AI's role in art creation?

The speaker views AI as a tool for inspiration and assistance in art creation, but not as a replacement for the human touch and authenticity that artists bring to their work.

Why does the speaker consider AI as a double-edged sword in art?

The speaker considers AI as a double-edged sword because while it can assist in creating art, it lacks human emotions and can lead to a loss of authenticity and credibility in art.

What is the speaker's concern regarding AI and young artists?

The speaker is concerned that AI might control young artists and lead to a loss of the human touch in art, as well as the unauthorized use of artists' work by AI systems.

What analogy does the speaker use to describe the relationship between AI and artists?

The speaker uses the analogy of a jail cell to describe the relationship between AI and artists, suggesting that AI confines artists by taking their work and creating something else from it.

What does the speaker believe is the essence of art?

The speaker believes that the essence of art is the human touch, which AI art lacks.

What advice does the speaker give to young artists regarding AI?

The speaker advises young artists to use AI as a tool and not let it control their art creation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining humanity in art.

What quote does the speaker share from the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo?

The speaker shares a quote by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, 'I paint my own reality,' encouraging young artists to create art that reflects their own experiences and perspectives.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Impact of AI on Art

The speaker begins by acknowledging the presence of AI in art and shares a personal anecdote about their first solo art exhibition, 'Peace of My Mind'. They recount a conversation with an artist who critiqued modern artists for relying too heavily on technology like AI. The speaker then discusses their own experience using AI art generators to overcome an artistic block while creating 'Mythos', a piece reflecting their cultural background. Despite using AI for inspiration, the speaker emphasizes the importance of the human element in art, which AI lacks. They argue that AI can be a useful tool but should not replace the authenticity and credibility of human artists. The speaker also expresses concern about AI's potential to devalue original art by allowing others to copy and use it without understanding or respecting the artist's identity.

05:01

🤖 The Human Touch in Art

In the second paragraph, the speaker delves deeper into the concept of the 'human touch' in art, asserting that AI-generated art lacks the emotional depth and authenticity that comes from human creation. They use the example of Vincent van Gogh's work to illustrate the emotional connection that human artists can convey through their art, which is absent in AI creations. The speaker reflects on the unique era where art and technology intersect, urging young artists to use AI and technology as tools without letting them dictate the creative process. They stress the importance of maintaining humanity in art and conclude with a quote by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, encouraging artists to create their own reality, thus preserving the human element in their work.

Keywords

💡AI

AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the video, AI is discussed in the context of its impact on art, suggesting that AI tools can assist artists but also raise concerns about authenticity and the loss of the human touch in art creation.

💡Art Exhibition

An art exhibition is a presentation of art objects in a gallery or museum for public viewing. The speaker mentions their solo art exhibition 'Peace of My Mind,' which serves as a backdrop for discussing the role of AI in their work and the broader art community.

💡Art Block

Art block, also known as creative block, is a state of being unable to create new work or lacking inspiration. The speaker mentions experiencing an art block and how they turned to AI for inspiration, highlighting the dual nature of AI as both a creative aid and a potential threat to originality.

💡AI Art Generator

An AI art generator is a software tool that creates artwork based on user inputs. The speaker used AI art generators to overcome their art block, typing in descriptions and receiving images that inspired them to complete their piece 'Mythos,' demonstrating how AI can serve as a catalyst for human creativity.

💡Cultural Background

Cultural background refers to the customs, beliefs, and traditions that come from a particular society or community. The speaker's artwork 'Mythos' is deeply rooted in their cultural background as an Asian and Chinese person, incorporating mythology and personal history that AI cannot replicate, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of human experience in art.

💡Human Touch

The human touch in art refers to the emotional and personal connection that artists create through their work. The speaker argues that AI art lacks this human touch, as it does not possess emotions or personal experiences, and thus cannot fully convey the depth and authenticity that human artists can.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity in art means that the work is genuine and original, reflecting the true self of the artist. The speaker expresses concern that AI-generated art lacks authenticity because it does not originate from a unique human perspective or emotional experience.

💡Emotionless

Emotionless refers to the absence of emotion. The speaker contrasts AI art with human art, stating that while AI can create visually appealing pieces, it fails to incorporate the emotional depth and humanity that artists imbue in their work.

💡Technology

Technology in the context of the video refers to the tools and systems, such as AI, that artists can use to create or enhance their art. The speaker acknowledges the benefits of technology but also warns of its potential to overshadow the importance of the human element in art.

💡Humanity

Humanity encompasses the qualities that make us human, such as emotions, creativity, and individuality. The speaker emphasizes that the essence of art is its humanity, and without it, art loses its meaning, urging artists to use AI as a tool without letting it control the creative process.

💡Freda Koo

Freda Koo is a Mexican artist known for her surreal paintings. The speaker quotes Koo to encourage young artists to paint their own reality, suggesting that personal expression and authenticity are paramount in art, even in the age of AI and technology.

Highlights

Introduction to the topic of AI's impact on art.

Personal experience with AI during an art exhibition titled 'Peace of My Mind'.

Discussion with an artist about the advantages of AI in art creation.

The Forbes 20123 article's claim that AI art is the future.

Using AI art generators to overcome an art block during the creation of 'Mythos'.

AI's role as an inspiration tool rather than a direct copy machine.

AI's lack of human emotions and authenticity in art creation.

AI as a 'jail cell' for artists, constantly drawing from their work.

The fear of AI copying or using unpublished art ideas.

The issue of AI art lacking the human touch and emotions.

The importance of the human touch in art, exemplified by Vincent van Gogh's work.

The current age as a unique intersection of art and technology.

Advice for young artists on how to utilize AI without losing the human touch.

The necessity of steering the boat of art rather than being controlled by the wind of AI.

A quote by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo emphasizing the importance of personal reality in art.

Closing remarks encouraging young artists to create their own reality through art.

Transcripts

well thank you for the introduction and

very glad to be here before we start I

want to conduct a quick survey who here

has used Chad GPT

before okay I see a couple hands so

today my topic is going to delve into AI

or as most people know as artificial

intelligence and specifically the effect

it has on

Art last year I had my first ever solo

art exhibition titled peace of my mind

during which a lot of profound artists

Scholars came out to support me one

artist specifically I had a very

profound and deep conversation with him

and it went like

this you young people nowadays have

everything to to the world to you you

guys have everything handed to you

especially in

art I was a little confused I I didn't

really understand if he was giving me a

compliment or giving me criticism so I

asked I said what do you mean by

that he replied with well 30 years back

when I first started off as a comic

artist we had nothing we didn't have any

technology any AI or any anything to

help us work faster or work better to

improve our line work or to act color

boom quickly or anything anything like

that but now you guys have

everything and I said yeah of course

well times have changed but the the

essence of what he was saying was that

Ai and technology has changed art in a

Forbes 20123 article is that the AI art

is the

future and I believe so last year while

I was working on one of my bigger pieces

titled

Mythos I was stuck in kind of a

regressive rut an art block some of you

might call it and well of course I

resorted to AI art and AI generator

so a couple of AI programs actually give

you images when you type in words such

as Sora bang image generator Google

image generator or Chad gbt Pro so I

went on there I typed in give me

something that looks like herous Bosch

mixed with a little bit of Chinese

calligraphy art and boom gave me six

images all wonderful colorful beautiful

pieces of

art only if you look further away from

it if you look closely there are

definitely little tweaks knacks and

places where you would find that it's

definitely not created by a

human but nevertheless that gave me

inspiration to create and finish my

piece Mythos is a piece about my

cultural background and my history as an

Asian as a Asian person as a Chinese

person includes a lot of Mythology and

things that you cannot really get from

AI so I merely used the AI as

inspiration but not direct copy because

is it does not know

me and that is the thing about AI is

that it does not know you it's not human

but it creates stuff for you AI is like

that super talented friend that we all

have that you tell them to do something

to do it perfectly more than perfect

sometimes but AI is also a double-edged

sword for example AI does not have human

feelings AI creates things that you may

not like from time to

time and also AI is not authentic AI

takes from artists AI is not credible AI

does not have the credibility like

artists

do one analogy I like to make is that AI

is like a jail cell for artists because

it it keeps you in there it keeps

millions of artists in this little jail

cell that it pulls from constantly it

takes from you it takes and it takes and

it takes because AI is like this big

software it sucks in your art and it

spits out something else for someone

else to take and to take from and to use

and that person does not have the

credibility to use your art because they

don't even know who you are as an artist

my biggest fear is that if someone

copies my art or someone uses my idea

that I haven't published out yet and

that is happening to so many so many

young Prosper artists because they post

this things they post their stuff on

social media and so social media what it

does the internet sucks in their work it

takes in this database of art puts it in

an AI system in a program that takes

different pieces of art creates this

other piece like I said I created a

piece I create six pieces actually and

each piece of it is from a different

artist millions of different

artists another issue about AI is that

it's

emotionless when you look at AI artist

beautiful it's colorful everything's in

there or almost everything's in there

except human emotions AI art is not

Humane and when we talk about art as

artists we like to say the sole essence

of art is the human touch AI art has not

yet developed a human touch and I

believe it will never be able to develop

the human touch because humans ourselves

only a small portion of us has

known what the human touch is in art

many people view art as just like a

decoration but from a young artist's

perspective I believe the human touch is

that everything artists create like

Vincent vanal for

example a piece of white pain stroke on

the side of a beach flourishing in the

wind that's the human touch when you

look at it you feel it you feel the

years of pressure the years of pain

vanal has behind his art

but when you look at a piece of AI art

when you look at a piece of mashed up AI

art you don't see that you see programs

you see networks you see

technology and that's good and all but

we're missing the human touch we're

missing Humanity as a

whole so we're in this age this weird

age where AR in technology really

crosses over with each other like no

other age has push us back 200 years art

and Technology would not cross over like

this back 400 years it would never cross

over like this but we are now in this

golden age of Art and Technology where

everything

intersects and because it intersects we

have to utilize it as artists as young

artists we have to learn to utilize AI

we have to learn to utilize

technology we cannot let it control us

because if and so if it controls us art

is no more because we'll completely lose

the human

touch like my dad used to always say you

can you cannot control the wind that

pushes the sail but you could control

the way you steer the

boat Young Artists I urge you and I

strongly strongly urge you to really

really consider AI as a tool as a way of

working to utilize it to use it to work

with it but not as a way of producing

art because it is not the way of the

future but AI could be really helpful

I'm not bashing it at

all the sole essence of art is still

humanity and without Humanity there is

no

art so where's the end I would like to

add a great quote by the Mexican artist

Freda

Koo she said that I paint my own

reality and I believe every single one

of you Young Artists out there should as

well thank you

[Applause]