AI-generated artwork wins competition but draws ire of artists
Théâtre D'opéra Spatial by Jason M. Allen has triggered a fierce debate in the world of art. The painting won the first prize in the Digital Art category at the Colorado State Fair's annual art competition. Allen's work was created with Midjourney, an AI program that turns text into graphics. His win has sparked harsh responses from artists, many accusing him of cheating.
Why does this story matter?
What are the things that AI should and shouldn't do? This question has the potential to become the most discussed in the near future. A painting by a text-to-image AI has enraged artists. The truth is that Midjourney is only the beginning. Sooner than later, we will see more advanced versions of text-to-image creators. What then for human artists? That's the big question.
Allen became obsessed with Midjourney's creations
Allen is the president of Colorado-based tabletop gaming company Incarnate Games. His experience with AI-generated art began this year. Once he got acquainted with Midjourney, Allen became obsessed with it. He created hundreds of images, one of which he submitted to the Colorado State Fair. Théâtre D'opéra Spatial or 'Space Opera Theater' was submitted in the digital art/digital manipulated photography category.
How does Midjourney works?
Midjourney, like other text-to-image AI systems, is trained on billions of images and text descriptions. When users enter a text description, the AI uses a complex process called 'diffusion' to turn text into custom images. The quality of the image depends on training data.
Allen's aim was to demonstrate how good the art is
About his decision to participate in the fair with his work, Allen told The New York Times, "the fair was coming up and I thought: How wonderful would it be to demonstrate to people how great this art is?" After realizing that he won the 'blue ribbon,' Allen posted his work in a Discord chat. From there, it reached Twitter, where the debate began.
The post elicited angry responses from artists on Twitter
Once the image of Allen's prize-winning work spread on the internet, it elicited a fierce response from the artistic community. "We're watching the death of artistry unfold right before our eyes," wrote a Twitter user. "I can see how A.I. art can be beneficial, but claiming you're an artist by generating one? Absolutely not," wrote another. "This is so gross," wrote another user.
The painting satisfied the category's eligibility criteria
It wasn't all negative responses on Twitter. Some defended Allen saying that Midjourney is just another tool like Photoshop or Illustrator and that the work rightfully entered the digital arts/digitally-manipulated photography category. Olga Robak, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, said that Allen disclosed Midjourney's involvement when submitting his work. She added that the category's rules don't bar Allen's submission.
The debate between 'human art' and art-making technology isn't new
The debate between those who support art-making technologies and purists is not new. Once, many saw the invention of the camera as a threat to human artistry. Similarly, when digital tools first arrived on the scene, purists dismissed them for lack of human contribution. Now, it's seen as art itself. Artists, however, argue that AI-generated art is different. But how?
Why is AI-generated art different from previous art-making technologies?
Critics say that the way apps like Midjourney and DALL E-2 work set them apart from art-making technology before them. These apps are trained on millions of images from the web. In that case, artists who upload their works to the internet are unknowingly training their AI competitors. Those who are impressed by AI's creations are worried about the ethical considerations involved.
A.I. won, humans lost: Allen
While the debate created by his work is raging, Allen is as unfazed as ever. He said, "I'm not going to apologize for it. I won, and I didn't break any rules." About the reaction to his win, he told NYT, "This isn't going to stop. Art is dead, dude. It's over. A.I. won. Humans lost."
