<aside> š” This is an extract from my contribution to the NFT Evening x Grand Angle Non Fungible Explorers to which you can subscribe to here.
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It is important to understand the difference between generative art and AI art. To me, AI art is a subcategory of generative art (previously known as algorithmic art).
Generally, generative art produces a (somehow) random outcome controlled and based on code developed or modified by the artist. The most famous platforms that have made collecting generative art easier and more popular are Artblocks on Ethereum and FXHash on Tezos, among others.
Now, we have entered a new period of AI art, where GANs have been upgraded to prompt-to-image softwares like DALL-E or OpenAI that use proprietary code developed by a few corporations to produce outcomes based on a giant dataset of images called the Internet.
The development of these softwares have triggered juicy headlines, such as āWill AI replace human artists?ā or even "Art is dead Dudeā. But there is still a difference between AI-generated images and AI art where the artist influences the outcome and work on the image that gets created by the AI. Beyond the debate āis it art if the artist used AIā, art has always been about INTENT. Therefore, it is important to look at what the artist is trying to tell us, the concept behind the work, to differentiate AI art from AI-generated illustration. Intent is everything in art!
AI will not replace artists, but it will change the way art is made (it already has). Artists use AI technology in their creative process, from the writing of the prompt to the selection and post-production work, similarly to a paintbrush or Photoshop. Some argue that AI is different than a tool because it creates output that we cannot fully predict, but to me, this is just another area of creativity. Finally, make sure to what artists intend to share when using AI in their work, as the lessons we learn from artists can really reveal all the beauty and risks of the technology that you might not yet see.
The Global Generative AI Market is growing fast. It accounted for USD 7.9 Billion in 2021 and is projected to occupy a market size of USD 110.8 Billion by 2030 growing by 34.3% every year from 2022 to 2030, according to Global Newswire.
This growth is fed by the spectacular rise of Midjourney, DALL-E, and other AI software. More and more artists are experimenting with it, and even people without artistic backgrounds are trying to create artwork.
Is it no surprise that the art world has, as often, been at the forefront of the AI movement. Artists have always been the first to embrace new technological tools, from the Impressionists who were the first to take advantage of tube paint to go out into nature and paint the way they perceived it, to the generative art specialists who, as early as the 1960s, used computers to explore new forms of creation.
āArtists have been experimenting with all new technology, trying to go deeper than the practical and commercial aspects, pushing the boundaries and trying to break the new technology to make us think about the societal impact of a new piece of technology. This is no different with AIā, says Fanny Lakoubay.
The concept of artificial intelligence as we define it today was popularized in the first half of the 20th century through science fiction, with characters such as the heartless Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz and the humanoid robot that impersonated Maria in Metropolis.
Since then, artificial intelligence has evolved, new technologies emerged, and many artists and researchers began exploring its potential in art.
In parallel with the evolution of AI, AI art, like any discipline, has gone through different stages. The emergence of new technologies allowed artists to experiment and create new forms.