Traditional vs. Digital Artwork

With the emergence of rapidly advancing digital technology, many questions have risen to the forefront around the nature of art. Inventions such as AI- generation are challenging our notion of what makes art original or credible. The two articles below document two scenarios where AI was used to create art that ended up being successful.

 In the NPR article, a man named Jason M. Allen entered artwork created through an AI program called  Midjourney into the Colorado State Fair Annual Art contest and won a blue ribbon. The NY Times article describes the growth in popularity of the song "Heart On My Sleeve" which uses AI generation to imitate the Weeknd and Drake. Both of these stories pose a dilemma: Should AI art be considered art? What makes art made by humans different? You may have seen on TikTok or on the news similar examples where AI is creating things previously thought to be unique to human abilities, whether it's AI Art or Chatgpt. A lot of this AI Art looks spectacular, full of vibrant colors, and rich with detail, leading us to question human art's value. 

 I believe art is still an essential part of our society and that true art is still something that digital technology cannot truly capture. The thing that makes human art different, and more valuable, is the emotions expressed. Ultimately what makes art important is that it gives people a channel to express themselves and to tell stories. 

For example in the image below posted by the National Gallery of Art, there are four images. Three of these are AI-Generated, while one is an original painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. Most artists can easily pinpoint the original, proving that there is something distinct about human art. The original is C and you can see that, unlike the other images, there is more emotion in its figure. There are more subtle details in this painting, such as the figure's stone expression, paler complexion, and tiny wrinkles. The AI paintings may look aesthetic, but they lack feeling and the imperfections that make humans human.

 These AI paintings also don't have the same story as the original. The original captures the frustration of the subject as she had to stand for hours for Da Vinci. Art tells stories, and it shows feelings which is something digital technology still cannot do. Maybe it will evolve in the future, but as of now, AI Art still hasn't caught up, and while it may prove to be a useful tool for artists, it is definitely not a replacement for the beauty of human expression.