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AI - a timely warning
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Message
Posted
Artificial intelligence has two forms so far as we're concerned. One is creating our own work on electronic devices of one kind or other. The other is, frankly, stealing other people's copyrighted images and manipulating them in various ways, incorporating them into digital images. I had not fully understood this until alerted by this YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Viy3Cu3DLk&ab_channel=SamDoesArts
I don't know if any of my various images posted online has been stolen in this way, and in personal terms it doesn't matter to me very much. But for young and up and coming artists, students, and those who currently make a living, or try to, from their artwork, this is important.
The link I've given won't be live - I don't know how to make it live; actually, it might even BE live for all I know. But you can highlight it, and right-click on it, to go straight to the video. There was also an article on this subject in The Guardian a few days ago: this video makes the case rather better.
Posted
Yes. Stephen Hawking warned about AI.
It will get to the stage where people won't believe in digital images at all, unable to tell the difference between real and faked. I think there was a TV series about this a few years ago. I can predict an app when you can upload a photo and get a portrait digitally painted in the style of any artist you want. And then that image can be turned into a physical picture by 3d modelling, which is what they are doing to re-create lost materpieces already.
Posted
I have drawn many graphics using a wacom tablet, Illustrator and photoshop. I have always been open to new software. I like to try different things in art. I had not realised that the Ai software was stealing copyrighted images until I watched this. I have used Ai software myself when I was trying to create a dragon from imagination (I had difficulty finding one in the wild). What I was trying to create was a reference for a real world painting. I have to say the results obtained using Ai alone were poor and looked cartoonish. I repainted the whole thing digitally. I am not at all happy using Ai software now, I won't be using it again. If I use a photograph as a reference I either take it myself or have been given permission to use it and credit the photographer.
I am also finding myself getting annoyed at so called paintings in the gallery that are nothing more than photographs from unsplash with a few software painting effects added. It's bad enough they are passed off as digital paintings and even worse that the photographer is not credited. Whatever happened to treating people with respect.
Posted
I also agree with your comments Collette. I sometimes find it difficult to see what is AI paintings , if I do comments I use put beautifully done and not call it a painting. I respect the skill needed to do the artwork but to me it’s not a real painting, as to digitally enhanced or altered photos they should be on a different site. Maybe I’m old fashioned giving credit to anyone who’s work you use in anyway should be acknowledged, even if it’s a simple influenced by.
Posted
There have been a couple of gallery postings lately where I, too have wondered if they are 'paintings' or simply digitally altered photographs. I am quite OK with digital paintings, since these are, in essence, created from a blank canvas, but whereas altered photographic images are, indeed, artistic I can't help but think a site entitled 'Painters On-Line' is not the most appropriate place to post these. My response, in general, is simply not to click on the thumbnail and thereby encourage more of the same. The quandary is that it is unfair in those cases where I get it wrong, though I suspect if I did click on the thumbnail to see if any details have been added, I would probably be disappointed to find none had been posted.
Posted
If it’s digital then tell us, not give absolutely zero information… nothing!
If it’s been worked up from a blank canvas, tell us the programme… Artrage etc!
If it’s a photograph that you’ve simply applied a filter to it then tell us - these are the ones I’m referring to that are becoming more numerous lately!
To me these ones are obvious, but I’m a graphic designer and as such am familiar with all digital processes. It’s evident that other members are viewing them as traditional paintings, or so it would appear by their comments!
Edited
by Alan Bickley
Posted
I think there are very few on the site who give info about the image - medium, size etc. maybe can’t be bothered, maybe just don’t realise. Occasionally I ask, mainly because I feel members are unaware and, yes, sometimes being misled. Mainly, though, I don’t bother - I have a good idea of what’s what. The thing that does cause me a wry smile is when someone posts a piece of “ work” which has an original slant but is taken from a site - not their idea at all and not acknowledged. Ah well, c’est la vie”.
Posted
You do already have to select a medium before you can post an artwork, but even if digital is selected, it doesn’t help understand how much is the skill of the artist and how much clever apps. There is one digital artist who regularly posts beautiful digital images and he usually confirms in his comments that it’s digital and often lists the programs or apps he has used to create them. Trouble is, unless you’re familiar with these, you’re still none the wiser as to how much is down to the skill of the artist. I remember there was a digital artist who posted her amazing fantasy style work on the gallery a few years ago, and she did explain which program/app she used and how she painstakingly built it up layer after layer, often taking months to complete something. Without that kind of info., you can really only just comment on whether or not you like the artwork as you see it.
Edited
by Jenny Harris