In recent years, A.I. has been a prevalent tool being used in everyday life, including art. People have different opinions on how they believe A.I. should be used in art, if even at all, and getting the opinions from people in the field is important. Chris Beaty, an art professor here at NCC spoke on various topics, and gave his opinion on how he believes AI will impact art.
Value of Art
“I don’t think AI will lower the value of human-made art. If anything, it might make original work more valuable because the human story behind it becomes rarer,” said Beaty. “When everything can be generated, people will start valuing the physical object and the artist’s hand more.”
Occupation Concerns
There is fear that AI will begin to replace artistic occupations, such as graphic design, in the future. There is also fear whether or not AI will change how the art world is as we know it. Some want to use AI as a tool for art, others fear it will lead to a complete replacement.
“AI will definitely change graphic design, but I don’t think it will replace designers. It’s great at speed and quick variations, but it can’t replace creative judgment, concept development, or understanding a client’s needs. The designers who succeed will be the ones who learn how to use and accept AI as a tool,” said Beaty.
Perceptions of Art
The way people perceive art differs from person to person, and with a new medium like AI coming into the mix, opinions are vastly different and can also be extreme.
“When images are easy to generate, people begin to question, ‘Who made this?’ and ‘Why?’ At the same time, it might broaden what people consider art, since more people can now make visually compelling work.”
Threats of AI
An article published by the BBC in October 2024 mentioned that whenever the camera was invented, people considered it to be the “antithesis of an artist”, with photographs being seen as “the mortal enemy of the art establishment”. However, photography later became one of the main catalytic movements of the art community. People have begun to compare AI to the camera, and what it could mean for the future of art.
“I think it will be similar. Photography was once seen as a threat, it was going to be the “end” of painting, but it became a major art movement and painting is still alive and well. AI will likely do the same, it will disrupt, but it will also expand possibilities. The difference is speed; AI is moving faster than photography ever did.” (BBC 2024)
Intentionality Behind AI Art
Art is notoriously all about perspective, and AI being perceived as art can be seen from different perspectives as well.
“Yes, AI images can be perceived as art, they can be beautiful, emotional, and meaningful. But I think the difference is intentionality. Art isn’t just the end product, it’s the human decision making behind it,” said Beaty. “AI lacks that lived experience. Without this personal perspective, AI generated content may struggle to be truly interesting. For example, I am a painter and when I make a “mistake,” I often find a use for the apparent accident. It involves my intuition. AI can’t do that.”
Evolution through AI
AI has the possibility of evolving art in the future, and whether or not it is a good thing is up for debate.
“AI is a tool. It is not ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ It can help us create and problem solve in new ways. But it will also force us to define what we value about human-made art. AI is transforming so quickly, I am sure that the landscape could look very different in a very short period of time and my answers may be very different,” shared Beaty. “We are all learning as we go, but I am cautiously optimistic.”
