Marisa Bartosik
In Everything Is a Remix, Kirby Ferguson argues that although AI can create art, art is an inherently human endeavor. I agree with Ferguson that art is a human domain, but I can not agree that AI can create art. The Britannica dictionary defines art as “a visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination”. Artificial intelligence does not possess consciousness, the ability to express itself, or the capacity for skill or imagination, and by definition, cannot create art.
We learn from Ferguson’s video “Everything is a remix” that to create human-like prompts, artificial intelligence takes input from previously created media and remixes it to satisfy the prompt. This is a process seen similarly in humans, as Ferguson states, “when we (humans) create, we are mostly creating more of the same but different.” Essentially, old art is combined with new ideas to create a piece of media that both satisfies individuals and honors traditions, such as genres and clichés. For example, the Disney live-action 2015 movie Cinderella was a remake of their animated 1950s movie by the same name, which also was a remake of the Brothers Grimm’s German 1812 folktale “Aschenputtel”, which was also a remake of Charles Perrault’s French 1697 folktale “Cendrillon”, which was inspired by stories seen as early as the 1st century BCE in Greece. Despite the fact that both humans and artificial intelligence reproduce already created art, humans recreate it in a way that is original and imaginative. Although the 2015 Cinderella movie was a remake, it was the first Cinderella adaptation to feature Prince Charming named Kit, have the king’s trusted advisor, the Grand Duke, be evil, and employ Lily James as the leading lady. This follows Kirby Ferguson’s theme of “mostly the same but different”.
In conclusion, although I believe that artificial intelligence cannot create art, I think it can be used as a valuable tool for artists. When in an art block, where an individual cannot come up with ideas to create, they can ask AI to provide art prompts, which may spark their creativity. Artists could also accumulate a list of skills from previous art by asking artificial intelligence websites questions or making requests that draw on ideas and techniques. For example, “What are some famous pieces of art that employ the use of abstract watercolor?” Or “List some songs that make use of percussion in 1980s jazz”. This would be a good way to contribute AI to the art world, without bordering on copied, mindless media. Ferguson states that “technology has always fueled creativity…[and] becoming our collaborator.” I also agree with this, with AI becoming such a prominent part of technology in everyday life, it would be foolish and difficult not to employ it in our creations. Like Ferguson says, AI is becoming our collaborator, and to avoid it becoming our replacement, instead of using AI to create Art, it should be a tool for artists.
I did not use generative AI to write this essay.