AI and the arts

This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.

Since the 80’s, AI has risen as a big topic. In recent times there has been a lot of controversy as to whether it is a good thing or not. Some people believe that if artificial intelligence gets any smarter, computers will realise there is no need for humans and AI will be capable of taking over the planet. Obviously these are extremely drastic circumstances. In the last few months AI has gotten even bigger as things such as chat GPT and voice generators have become available. In my standpoint I will say more about how people's opinions differ on this topic.

On one side of the argument, people see it as a good thing. One reason it is good is that you are able to create anything you want in seconds. This shows it is very time efficient as a piece of work that could take a human hour or weeks can be produced in far shorter time. AI can also be a valuable tool for learning in the arts. People can use AI powered platforms and applications to learn various artistic techniques, receive personalised feedback, and track their progress over time. These tools can enhance their artistic abilities and expand their knowledge of different art forms meaning it can also help to enhance human skills. Artificial intelligence Makes it much easier to collaborate and connect within the artistic community. Collaborative projects and virtual spaces can be created, where artists can collaborate on artwork or explore new mediums together.

On the other hand, AI is seen as a bad thing. This is because people are having their work copied and stolen. Another thing is that people will become less imaginative if in the future they have to create anything as AI will generally do it all for them. Jason M. Allen used AI to form a painting called ‘Théâtre D’opéra Spatial’, which is French for Space Opera Theatre. He won the contest and a prize of £300. Other candidates and people following the event were outraged as he had barely done anything towards it and still won. Another example of this happening is a song by the name ‘Heart on my Sleeve’ was written completely by AI alone yet was made to simulate the voices of The Weeknd and Drake. Fans couldn’t believe that it wasn’t actually the two artists singing. As exciting as that use of technology is, it could also be used to clone different celebrities saying slurs and harmful phrases which could cause celebrities to get cancelled.

In my opinion, it is difficult to pick a side. I can see both the benefits and dangers AI could bring us in the future. However, I have come to the conclusion that the cons greatly outweigh the pros. People are beginning to isolate themselves from their friends and family and instead talk to chatbots meaning they aren’t getting proper social interactions. AI is extremely powerful; more powerful than humans. Even though we created it, in the near future there will be no use for humanity and we will die out.