AI, also known as Artificial Intelligence, is a recent innovation of the 21st century. It allows one to generate content, including text and images within seconds, meeting specific criteria. Once a theoretical concept, AI can create content through little to no input and generate masterpieces in art.
“A futuristic computer with 10 screens from the 50s or 60s in the style of pop art inspired by Nam June Paik with floating screens” generated by Bing Image Creator
One can create any painting they can imagine with AI, implementing different art movements, styles, and periods to get specific results.
How does AI work?
AI is trained with the images and content available on the internet to create unique content. It generates images and content that don’t exist! AI is almost “inspired” by the content available online, to create unique and original masterpieces. Yet, it can still be responsible for plagiarism when it fails to cite sources and copies artwork.
The Technology Behind AI
AI generates content through Quantum Computing, a field of computing that uses quantum mechanics to solve complex problems much faster than regular computers. Unlike traditional computing, which uses zeroes and ones to complete operations, Quantum Computing uses Qubits (Quantum Bits) to complete processes.
Quantum Computing still uses ones and zeroes, but Qubits can represent a one and a zero at the same time. This allows AI to create unique content, with more probability as to what can be created. Additionally, AI uses neural networks to generate content, that mimics the abilities of a human brain, adding to the complexity of what AI references when creating content.
This is a basic overview of quantum computing, and more in-depth information can be found here.
The Capabilities of AI
AI can generate images that don’t exist, and copy the styles of different art movements, styles, and even artists! In this case, the AI even added a signature meant to look like Claude Monet’s!
“An Impressionist painting of Hawaii inspired by ‘Impression, Sunrise’ by Claude Monet” made with Bing Image Creator.
The more specific you are when you make artwork with AI, the more interesting results can get.
“Create a painting of a papillon dog on a throne in the style of Late Renaissance paintings” created by Bing Image Creator.
Is AI Ethical? The Controversies of AI
AI-generated content is not reputable in providing information, as it uses millions of sources on the internet that may be biased and hold disinformation or misinformation. AI may miscategorize information that it gets from the internet, providing irrelevant and false information about different topics.
Specifically with generating artwork, AI has been found to promote stereotypes about different ethnicities and genders while copying art techniques and artwork of artists without their consent.
How Should I Use AI?
AI should be used as a brainstorming tool for creating content. It should not be relied on for creating content entirely. For academic purposes, you should always ask for consent from your instructor about how you can use AI and if you are allowed to cite it for information.