A popular TikTok trend surfaced in early 2023, in which people would post and share artificially generated artworks based on song lyrics. Videos using AI to ‘capture clothing styles through the ages’ would gain hundreds of thousands of views. 

People even made entire music videos using artwork completely illustrated with artificial intelligence. 

With the debate surrounding AI becoming heated throughout the internet, the trend sparked backlash from the artistic community. Artists argued that using AI art was unethical because it replaced the hard work of artists with illustrations made by machines. 

Getty Images even sued an AI generator out of suspicion that it was using unlicensed photos as reference material. 

Since this trend, the progress of artificial intelligence has not slowed down in the slightest. AI illustrations are no exception. So what is going to happen to human artists? Will they be swiftly and efficiently replaced by their artificial counterparts, or will they actually gain new resources from the new software?

As an artist, I also originally feared what generated art work would mean, especially on a professional level. With a new outlet to create artistic media, corporations can easily cut costs and time by making their own illustrations rather than commissioning real artists. What’s more, in order for artificial intelligence to generate a new, unique image, it uses a database of previously posted artwork, meaning that the ‘new’ generated art comes from pieces created by the artists who are now losing work

However, AI can bring a lot to the table for the artists themselves. With just a click of a button, an artists’ idea can become a reality. AI art can be used to aid creative processes, displaying rough conceptual designs for artists. Artists can paint with AI artworks, rather than against it. 

When Photoshop originally released, many believed that it would lead to the end of professional photography. In reality, it became a software that was integral for photographers to create the most impactful works they could make. I believe the same will be true with AI artwork. 

It’s important to stress that I am concerned about how this application could be used to cut costs and lay off workers in the creative industry. I do not, however, believe that AI is at the point where it can completely replace artists. 

When looking at generated artworks, you can see how the eyes are slightly inhuman. The hands have either six fingers or three. The art it creates, especially when drawing people, feels soulless. 

However, as we are in a constantly progressing world in a new age of technology, it’s imperative that AI generated art is used only as a tool and not a substitution. 

Every coin has two sides. As long as we ensure that AI will never replace manmade artworks, artificially generated images can be a tool and even a help for workers in the creative field.