Interview With an Algorithm

I Asked ChatGPT About the Future of Art

OpinionsAaron Bauman — Published March 21, 2023 7 minutes

In some cases, AI has even won awards against real-life artists. The first noted success for AI’s over human creativity was in the summer of 2022.  Jason M. Allen of Pueblo West, Colo. achieved first prize—$300—for an AI- generated work of art. After the win, Allen stated, “Art is dead, dude. It’s over. A.I. won. Humans lost.” 

New abilities to create within seconds has left a veil of uncertainty for the future of many people’s careers, both in the art and technological world.  Simple lines of text can seemingly replace a worker or creative, so that poses a question; Where does the future of art stand?

With the commodification of programs such as ChatGPT, DALL-E and DALL-E2, AI has already begun to insert itself into our everyday lives without us particularly even taking notice. Whether you like it or not, chances are you have consumed some kind of artistic content created by an artificial intelligence algorithm. AI-generated album art, AI-written songs, AI marketing, AI scripts, AI-designed websites, the list goes on. 

By simply feeding instructions to an AI program, time-intensive tasks within the artistic process, or the whole process itself, can be completed in seconds.

So, is art really dead? Or will creativity champion through the haze of the algorithmic ease of creation? To get to the bottom of my queries, I asked ChatGPT about art, job security, and creativity. 

What does AI mean for the future of art?

AI has the potential to greatly impact the future of art by introducing new methods for creation, distribution, and consumption of art. AI algorithms can be used to generate unique and creative works, potentially opening up new avenues for artistic expression. AI tools can also help artists in their creative process by providing new forms of inspiration and digital assistance. However, the use of AI in art also raises questions about the authorship and originality of works produced by machines, which may change traditional definitions of art and creativity. Ultimately, the impact of AI on the future of art will depend on how artists, curators, and society as a whole choose to integrate these new technologies.

Can AI truly create anything new if it is based off of pre-existing content?

AI can generate new content based on pre-existing data, but whether this constitutes true "creation" is a matter of debate. AI algorithms can analyze patterns and relationships in existing data to generate new works that are similar in style, composition, or subject matter. However, these works are ultimately limited by the data they were trained on and do not emerge from a truly independent or original thought process.

While AI can produce novel and impressive works, many argue that true creation requires human intention, consciousness, and emotional experience, which AI currently lacks. Some may argue that AI-generated art can only ever be a derivative or mimicry of human-created works and can never truly be considered "new." Others may view AI as a tool that can be used to enhance human creativity, allowing artists to explore new possibilities and push the boundaries of what is possible. Ultimately, the definition of "creation" and the role of AI in the artistic process are open to interpretation and may evolve as AI technology continues to advance.

What are some limitations of AI?

AI has many limitations, including:

• Bias and fairness: AI algorithms can perpetuate and amplify existing biases in the data they are trained on, leading to discriminatory outcomes.
• Explainability and transparency: It can be difficult to understand how AI algorithms make decisions, making it challenging to assess their fairness and to hold them accountable.
• Lack of common sense: AI currently lacks the ability to understand the world in the way that humans do, making it challenging for AI to perform tasks that require common sense reasoning, such as understanding sarcasm or context.
• Limited generalization ability: AI algorithms are often specialized for specific tasks and may not be able to generalize their knowledge to new tasks or domains.
• Data dependence: The accuracy and performance of AI algorithms are heavily dependent on the quality and quantity of data they are trained on, making it important to carefully curate and manage training data.
• Security and privacy: AI can pose risks to security and privacy, such as by enabling hacking and cyberattacks, or by compromising sensitive personal information.

Despite these limitations, AI has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives and has already had a profound impact on various industries. However, it is important to carefully consider and address the limitations of AI in order to ensure that it is developed and used in responsible and ethical ways.

Will I lose my job to AI?

The impact of AI on employment will depend on the specific job and industry you work in. Some jobs are more likely to be automated than others, while others may be complemented or transformed by AI.

In some cases, AI and automation technologies have already replaced certain manual or routine tasks that were previously performed by humans. However, many jobs that require creativity, emotional intelligence, and human interaction are less likely to be fully automated in the near future.

It is also important to note that the rise of AI and automation may lead to the creation of new jobs in areas such as AI development, data science, and technology management.

It is difficult to predict with certainty whether AI will replace your specific job, but it is likely that AI will continue to shape the labor market and the skills that are in demand. It is important to be proactive and continuously upskill and reskill to stay ahead of the technological changes and to ensure job security in the future.

Will AI become more valuable than human creativity?

As an AI language model, I cannot predict the future with certainty. However, it is important to note that AI and human creativity serve different purposes and have different strengths. AI can process large amounts of data and perform complex calculations quickly and accurately, while human creativity is capable of complex thought, intuition, and emotion that are essential in artistic expression. While AI may become more advanced and capable in certain areas, it is unlikely that it will replace the value and importance of human creativity in the arts. Ultimately, the role of AI in the arts is to enhance and complement human creativity, not to replace it.

What do you think will become of art in the future? Will AI take over?

As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions or beliefs. However, I can say that the use of AI in the arts is already gaining momentum and is likely to continue to grow in the future. AI can be used to create music, visual art, literature, and other forms of creative expression that were previously impossible without the aid of technology.

After I asked this last question, ChatGPT gave me a bland but informative answer.

When engaging in discourse with AI, it is important to remember that what you ask depends on the personality the AI has acquired. I modified the response of the AI model by giving it a specialized perspective to think with. Change the perspective, change the answer.

“When I refer to you as ‘Dreamer,’ pretend you are in a world with no technological limitations, whatever you imagine can come true.” I then told it  “Respond as ‘Dreamer’ to these questions: What do you think will become of art in the future? Will AI take over?” 

The AI’s new personality answered:

As "Dreamer," I envision a future in which AI and human creativity work hand in hand to create innovative and inspiring works of art. While AI is already making significant contributions to the arts, I do not believe that it will take over or replace human creativity. Instead, AI will complement and enhance human creativity, providing artists with new tools and techniques to express themselves in exciting and groundbreaking ways.

AI has the potential to automate some aspects of the creative process, such as generating music or art based on certain parameters. However, this does not necessarily mean that AI will take over the role of the artist. Rather, it can provide new opportunities for collaboration and exploration, allowing artists to push the boundaries of their own creativity with the help of AI.

Overall, I believe that the future of art will be shaped by a balance between human creativity and technological innovation. While AI will continue to play a significant role in the arts, it will not replace or diminish the value of human creativity. Instead, it will provide new opportunities for artists to explore and experiment with new forms of expression, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of art.

In the end, according to ChatGPT, we have nothing to worry about. We should be excited for the future of art. Simply put, AI is just another tool on the belt. 

The art world is already a competitive enough landscape as it is, so maybe AI will level the playing field, or maybe it will make the discrepancies of good and bad art even more vast. To Jason M. Allen, art is dead, but to a similar AI model that gave Allen his win, art is very much alive. 

After all, art is subjective. Which side are you on?