AI in Art: A Creative Controversy

Navigating the Ethical Maze of AI in Art

Artists worldwide are tapping into artificial intelligence (AI) to push the boundaries of creativity. However, using AI raises tricky ethical questions, especially because the technology evolves faster than the laws can keep up. This leaves artists wrestling with issues like who really owns an AI-created piece and if it’s fair to use AI in ways that could potentially misuse someone’s original work.

AI and Celebrity Imitations

Take the artist Xanthe Dobbie, who used a text-to-speech tool to mimic Cate Blanchett’s voice in a video called Future Sex/Love Sounds. This kind of work makes us wonder about the lines between real and artificial. It’s cool and futuristic but also a bit worrying when you think about whether it’s right to use someone’s likeness like that without their okay. This situation shows how slow legal systems are to catch up with new tech tricks.

How AI is Shaking Up Creative Jobs

AI’s growth is causing a stir in creative fields—from music and writing to design and acting. There’s a real worry that AI might start replacing the unique touch human artists bring, which could really shake up the creative industry.

For example, Alisdair Macindoe’s dance piece Plagiary uses AI to create new moves on the spot. It’s a fresh way to blend human and machine efforts, but it also makes people question what counts as “real” art when a machine is doing part of the creating.

Who Owns AI-Created Art?

Ownership and rights over creative work are big debates in the AI art world. There’s a lot of fuss about companies using artists’ work to train AI without asking first. The Book3 dataset controversy, where 18,000 Australian books were used to train an AI without the authors’ permission, really highlights this issue.

Painter Sam Leach talks about the need to carefully choose what data AI learns from. He uses his own art and historical images to train AI, helping him keep some control over the creative process. Yet, there’s still a broader issue of a few big companies dominating the advanced AI scene, which could limit individual artists’ control.

Indigenous Voices and AI Ethics

Indigenous artists like Rowan Savage are diving into AI too, but they’re very focused on doing it ethically, with respect for their communities. Savage works with Alexis Weaver on a project called Koup Music, aiming to make sure their AI respects and retains their cultural values. They keep a tight grip on the data used to train their AI to prevent it from being misused for profit.

Discover how artists are dealing with the complex ethics of AI, from copying celebrity voices to safeguarding cultural integrity. This evolving field is full of both challenges and exciting possibilities.

Frequently Asked Questions About AI in Art

1. What are the ethical concerns with using AI in art?
   The use of AI in art raises several ethical issues, such as the unauthorized use of a person’s likeness or creations without consent, the question of who holds ownership over AI-generated content, and the impact of AI on the value and perception of human-created art. Artists and legal systems are still figuring out how to handle these concerns as technology progresses.
2. How is AI changing creative professions?
   AI is increasingly being integrated into various creative fields, challenging traditional roles and creating new possibilities for innovation. For example, AI can generate music, create visual art, or even develop choreography, which can both complement and compete with human artists. This shift is sparking discussions about the future role of human creativity and the potential for AI to change how we define art and the artist’s role in society.
3. Why is it important to control the data used to train AI in art?
   Controlling the data used in training AI models is crucial because it impacts the originality and authenticity of the resulting art. Artists like Sam Leach use their own artworks and carefully selected historical references to train AI, ensuring the AI’s outputs are unique and personally meaningful. Moreover, using controlled data helps prevent ethical issues such as the misuse of copyrighted or culturally sensitive material.

Sources The Guardian