Artwork Made by Artificial Intelligence: The Future or a Step Back?

By: Ryan Finke, Writer

Recently, new artificial intelligence software has been trending. This AI software creates art from a phrase you type into its search engine. It scans the web for images related to words or phrases and uses its years of developed knowledge to create an astonishing art piece.

This machine-generated media has been taking over social media. The creepy, yet accurate, art pieces are so fun to try and make on your own. Recently I have been using WOMBO’s “Dream” software to create my very own artwork. Today we are going to admire and analyze my favorite pieces that I have created and discuss some of the pros and cons of this software.

Before we look at my art, here is what the user interface looks like. As you can see, you simply type in a prompt and select an art style, and the artificial intelligence creates a masterpiece.

Photo by: Ryan Finke

Here we can see a human-like lizard jamming out on his electric guitar. As you can see by the top of the picture, I typed, “Legendary, playing rock and roll, using guitar, golden cartoon lizard, square aspect ratio.” You might notice that I don’t use proper grammar when speaking to the AI, but rather simple phrases that are easy for it to understand. It never gives you exactly what you want, but a masterpiece nonetheless.

Photo by: Ryan Finke

 

 

Here we have some strange-looking reptiles meeting up in what looks to be a backyard. This one is cool because it shows how abstract the AI can be. It doesn’t really know what a reptile is, only what it looks like. Therefore, it merges many different reptile-looking things to create mystical-looking creatures. 

 

I think it’s obvious that I’m a fan of this AI. However, some artists are not so pleased with this idea. “What makes this AI different is that it’s explicitly trained on current working artists,” says RJ Palmer. “This thing wants our jobs, it’s actively anti-artist.” I can see where these artists are coming from, but I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. Machines have already taken over manufacturing, but craftsmen didn’t lose respect for their work. Real creators of authentic art will never lose their value, but their uses will certainly diminish. When someone wants something specific, the AI will eventually be good enough to give them exactly what they want. But when someone wants art, they will always look for the real deal. I think this is a great advancement in the vast world of technology, and I can’t wait to see where AI goes in the future.

Photo by: Ryan Finke
Photo by: Ryan Finke
Photo by: Ryan Finke