If you’re yearning for a fistfight with an artist, one simple phrase should do the trick: AI can do what you do.
The recent explosion of chatbots and text-to-image generators has prompted consternation from writers, illustrators, and musicians. AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E are extraordinary technical accomplishments, yet they seem increasingly purpose-built for producing bland content sludge. Artists fear both monetary loss and a devaluing of the creative process, and in a world where “AI” is coming to mean ubiquitous aesthetic pink slime, it’s not hard to see the source of the concern.