In this decade, we’ve seen a rapid influx of artificial intelligence, with everything from our music to our cars becoming more digitized every day. First was Siri, a convenient pocket-sized assistant at your beck and call. Soon after came smart homes, navigation apps, and tailored social media algorithms. While some are wary of these advancements, others claim that this is the natural progression of society. Whichever side you are on, you can’t deny that we are entering a new era of technology. There are certain aspects of our lives, such as the arts, that we’ve considered untouched by AI, until now. With AI art on the rise, it’s time we inspect how art will change.
In the past two years, AI art software like DALL-E 2, Mid Journey, and Stable Diffusion have been introduced, giving even the most amateur of artists the ability to produce stunning pieces at the click of a button. These programs have made their way through Facebook and Twitter, amazing users with the it’s seemingly infinite capabilities. If you want to see an image of a chicken tap dancing atop a school painted in the style of Van Gough’s Starry Night, it can be made in seconds. Most recently, TikTok has jumped in on the fun, adding an “AI Portrait ” filter which allows users to swiftly be drawn in a romantic style. While this may seem like an amusing trend to some, for others it is a threat.
“Technically, AI art could be more desirable because it’s more specific to the buyer, whereas art made by real artists is kind of restricted in their style,” says 11th grade Artist Ava Cathel. This is a common worry among artists these days, due to AI programs’ increasing capabilities and rapid nature. A person could spend years perfecting a style, whereas an AI art program like DALL-E 2 could master hundreds of styles within seconds. “AI art is threatening to artists’ jobs because of how quick and cheap it is”, says Cathel. “Creators need to make a living, so they’re gonna charge for their work. This computer generated stuff is not nearly as expensive,” she states.
Last November, AI art creator, Jason M. Allen won Colorado State Fair’s annual art competition with a piece of computer-generated art, sparking controversy from creators across the globe. When I asked students if this should’ve happened, the results were mixed. Junior Shaya Schreiber stated “People that make AI art are not artists, they’re programmers. It’s definitely a skill, but if those people take full credit for it then I find it to be cheating.” He laughs and adds, “I’ve written a little bit of code, it’s not artistic in any way.” Schreiber remarks, “I think AI artists are a type of artist, in a way, but when it comes to classical art, it feels completely unfair.” As for now, the topic is still up for debate.
This debate is not only concerned for the industry, but for small creators specifically. 11th grade artist Ty Benzin is wary about the morality of this phenomena. “What these sites do is scan the entirety of the internet for artwork, which is then combined to make artificially-created work. A big issue is a lot of independent artists are being harmed from this. They post their work for free, which is then stolen, altered, and sold by these programs. The original artists are almost never compensated,” he says. “I think that’s the most unethical part of it, that these smaller creators can’t consent to this. They can’t legally do anything about it, unlike companies that have their designs properly copyrighted. Not only are these sites taking credit for artists’ work, but they’re profiting off of it.” He mentions that regarding the use of larger companies art like Disney or Studi Ghibli’s, AI art may be in trouble, “If [lawsuits from large corporations] are not the demise of it itself, it’s something that AI art will have to overcome in order to be sustainable.”
However, among all of this, artists are finding hope in the human nature of art. Cathel expresses, “Real artists’ work is intimate and has a personality, which AI art lacks. It just can’t connect with the viewer”. She challenges the commonly known benefits of it, vocalizing “I feel like the accessibility of AI art is where it actually fails. It won’t replace artists’ jobs because people want their art to be valuable, and where’s the worth in a piece that can be made by anyone?” Schreiber, a jewelry maker, agrees, remarking, “One thing that gives jewelry and metals the upper hand is that you can’t code a sculpture. You can 3D print one, but it requires a designer with artistic skill.” He adds, “AI art can replicate techniques, but the value of art lies in an artist’s creativity, and that can never be replaced.”

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Ava Cathel quotes
“Technically, AI art could be more desirable because it’s more specific to the buyer, whereas art made by real artists are kind of restricted in their style”
“Artists work is intimate and has a personality, which AI art lacks. It can’t connect with the viewer”
“I feel like the accessibility of it is where it actually fails. Ai art will not replace artists jobs because people want their art to be valuable, and where’s the worth in a piece that can be made by anyone”
“Ai art is not the future of art. There’s no emotion in it, and that’s what the point of art is”
“I think AI artists are a type of artist, in a way, but when it comes to classical art, it feels like it’s cheating”

Shaya Schreiber
Makes jewelry and metals for around 2 years
“I’ve seen it on tik tok”
“Ai art is threatening to artists jobs because of how quick and cheap it is”
“It’s more accessible to people, which is part of the threat”
“Creativity cannot be replicated, a computer can only add so much detail”
“People that make Ai art are not artists, they’re programmers. It’s definitely a skill, but if those people take full credit for their art then I find it to be cheating. I’ve written a little bit of code, it’s not artists in any way” he laughs
“One thing that gives jewelry and metals the upper hand is that you can’t code a sculpture. You can 3D print one, but it requires a designer with artistic skill”
“Ai art can replicate techniques, but the value of art lies in the artists creativity, and that can never be replaced”

Ty Benzin
“The problem is it often preys on actual artists work. It’s based on random art either from the internet, or things that are copyrighted, which will definitely get someone in trouble eventually”
“If it’s not the demise itself, it’s something that Ai art will have to overcome in order to be sustainable”
“A big issue is a lot of independent Ai artists are being harmed with this. They post their work for free, and if these sites are selling altered versions of it, it’s no longer free. I think that’s the most unethical part of it, that these smaller creators can’t consent to this. They can’t legally do anything about it, unlike companies that have their designs properly copyrighted. It’s data scrubbing off of randomized art and mixing it together to create the designs that people request, which includes works that independent artists posted for free. Not only are they stealing that art, but they’re profiting off of it”