Artificial intelligence (AI) art is “any form of digital artwork, such as images, text, audio, or video, created with the assistance of artificial intelligence,” according to the article, Artificial Intelligence and Art: How Will AI Impact Artists, by Shoshanah Wall, in the cgspectrum blog. The article also defines AI as “the simulation of human cognition by machines, particularly computers.” In other words, AI is the imitation of human perception largely by computers.

​

In general, the advent of the use of AI has been both lauded and feared. Up until now, AI and its consequences have been the stuff of science fiction movies and books. Think of HAL 9000 in the film, 2001: A Space Odyssey or the murderous robots in the movie, The Terminator. These examples reflect the fear society has had, and continues to have, regarding the technology. On the other hand, the lovable trash compactor in the movie, Wall-E, and the steadfast mother figure in the movie, The Wild Robot, represent the good that could come from AI.

​

Like it or not, AI is here, influencing all aspects of modern life, and it looks like it’s going to stay. Its influence on, and use in, art has already begun. Like photography before it, this has led to questions about whether or not it will replace the creation of paintings, drawings, etchings, and so on by humans. Photography did not. Many believe AI won’t either. Instead, they argue, AI art will coexist with human art.

​

Many see AI-generated art as useful as a tool, especially for digital artists who can use it to create a concept or multiple concepts for a piece. Getting the perfected image is time-consuming with AI, however. This is where the artist comes in. Their creativity and skills make the process faster and create a finished work of art.

​

AI also lacks human compassion, empathy, and the full range of other human emotions inherent in creating any kind of art, whether it be painting, music, or writing. The technology can gather countless fragments of information and put them together to create an image, song, or story, but it cannot reproduce the underlying feeling conveyed by a human creator. For most of us, that underlying feeling or message is the reason art, in all its forms, speaks to us. 

​

As saxophonist, percussionist, and composer Yosvany Terry states in the article, “If It Wasn’t Created by a Human Artist, Is It Still Art?” by Liz Mineo in the Harvard Gazette notes, “When you hear those compositions by AI, they lack surprise, emotion, and even silence. I love dramatism in music, and for me, emotion in music is important, and AI is not there yet.” He also goes on to say, “It’s important to welcome AI with open arms to try to understand what AI can do for us and work with it in creative ways. Any new technology is first seen as a threat to the status quo, like the way radio was received when it first aired.”

​

When discussing AI in art, the consensus seems to be that, at least for the time being, AI is useful as a tool in creating works of art. However, as far as creating works that stand alone and mirror the human soul, it isn’t there yet.