The Controversy Surrounding AI Art Apps Taking Work From Skilled Artists

AI or Artificial Intelligence is one of the hottest topics to be talked about now all over the world. While the concept of AI has been around for quite some time now, with the field being officially opened for further research and study way back in 1956, more attention to this field of intelligence was opened up recently thanks to the recent advancements in technology.

And, speaking of the advancements in technology, the rapid pace of innovations when it comes to the technology sector has been impressive ever since the turn of the 21st century. Innovation has been moving faster than ever since the 2000s and it is showing no signs of slowing down.

Basically, AI is, as the name implies, intelligence of a similar nature to humans and animals, but this time found in machines. While the field of AI is big enough in itself, one of its most significant contributions is in the realm of art. As ironic as it sounds, AI Art is one of the most interesting and complex advancements yet.

For a seemingly mechanical and logical system to create works of art that require some degree of creativity, the feat alone is one that has amazed people to this day. And as of 2022, a massive boom in AI Art was experienced when the free AI art maker tool Craiyon became a viral sensation after its developers were inspired by the AI company Hugging Face when it went public with its AI image generator tool DALL-E.

The funny images and other creations whipped up by the free AI tool was a source of entertainment for many users online. However, not everyone was impressed with the developments in AI Art Apps. Recent events such as an AI-generated artwork winning an award in an annual art competition held in the Colorado State Fair did not sit well with artists — calling the move an act of ‘cheating’.

This is just one of the many accusations faced by AI Art Apps which essentially revolve around the notion that these tools take away the credit and hard-earned work from actual skilled human artists. Fears of actual human labor being replaced by AI technology as a means of cost-cutting among many other reasons is another concern raised by groups dissatisfied with AI Art.

As the debate still continues, determining the ethics of AI Art still hangs on the balance. However, at the end of the day, AI is just a tool. It is what we do with it that determines the morality of such a powerful innovation which still has more to offer.

By Neil Gregorio

Neil Gregorio is a graduating university student who writes as a hobby; when he is away from the keyboard, he spends his time watching Japanese animated shows and jamming out to his favorite rock music. 

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