Over the last year, the AI art generation field has rapidly evolved. I'm an artist as well as a writer (some of you know I produced graphic novels/comics for 10 years.) I also love technology and am an avid experimenter. That's where Midjourney comes in -- an independent research lab that produces a proprietary AI program that creates images from textual descriptions.

Without getting in too deep, the key takeaway is "images from textual descriptions." These descriptions are called "prompts," and that's where the controversy begins. Anyone who can string a few words together can produce imagery that rivals talented artists. You can see how this would trouble artists who make a living from their work.

It becomes worse when unscrupulous people make use of copyrighted works, imposing on other artist's work. These images have crept into online forums and is not always honestly distinguished as AI generated vs. 'real art."

In fact, many people like myself are VERY upfront about the tool used and are not using art by others as a basis/derivative (essentially using an image as a prompt.) It's crazy to see a protest like this as "human vs. AI." It literally sounds like a sci-fi book. But there are valid concerns.

Like the automobile, radio, television, and the internet AI art isn't going away. The question becomes: how do we use what is really a tool responsibly and respect other artist works?

1. No AI-generated imagery should use art owned by another artist, or any copyrighted works.
2. AI-generated imagery should be clearly identified as such.
3. AI-generated imagery should not be posted where it is not welcome.
   

We're in the early stages, and the transition is going to be rough.
Think back to the early days of machine automation and the  introduction of robots into manufacturing - technology that's here to stay. There will always be bad actors, but my hope is we'll figure out a way to make things work for everyone. 

I've been careful not to call these things "art." I do thing "imagery" is a better term. Here's some examples of what I've done.

I don't mention it much, but I am on Instagram, and I post some of this work there if you are interested in following.

What do YOU think?

Can the AI-imagery field and artists somehow find a way to live together peacefully? Or is Skynet on the horizon...

Book 2 Progress Report

I last reported to you 3 weeks ago. Since then I've added 14,357 words for an average of 683 words/day. This is good progress, and I moved up my final rough draft target. I'm in the middle of the book right now - often the hardest part to write!

My books:  Blanchland Blues   |   Lonely Ones   |   Stinger

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