The Current Situation With Art.
By David Dancey-Wood.
I've been wanting to write an article for a while now about the current situation with art in the world. Throughout my life, particularly over more recent years people have always remarked on the situation with technology, that I will be fine, art is kind of untouchable. The creative genius of man could never be replicated by machines, as this is something that lies deep within the human soul. I am now finding it quite ironic that as we face the oncoming tide of AI that is currently washing over our planet, that art seems to be one of the first casualties of an industry war.
When the first AI art appeared we all laughed and joked at what a mess it had made and how the chances of it becoming a threat were so far in the future. This was of course far from the truth and now we see AI being used as a source for art and illustration across the board on a regular basis for many industries that relied on hard working artists and illustrators for generations. It saddens me that all the hard work and skill can be so easily brushed aside for some quick and easy to use software.
More to the point, it will now mean that the skills that provide the means to draw, paint and illustrate will no longer be taught as there will not be a valid career path for them to be widely used. To be trained as a good illustrator takes a long time and the skills and practices put into place are a big deal that leads to a greater confidence as an accomplished artist. This in turn will often develop and take the commercial illustrator into fine art as the skills are not only compatible but highly valuable and sought after. We will eventually see a decline in the quality of artists across the world and I fear in the distant future it might be something we look back upon like so many of the endangered animals I draw.
I am sad it has all come to this, as I have already come up against AI as a competitor and lost work to its cheaper and faster results. My only hope is that it may in turn make works of original art more sought after and valuable, as for the moment this seems to be still something untouched by technology. I would also like to reassure everyone that presently all of my art is untouched by AI and will remain so for the coming future.
Thank you all for your support, there has never been a time where artists need it more.
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