Prior to this class, I had never generated an image using AI. DALL-E was geoblocked in Vietnam, and I wasn’t particularly interested in the idea until OpenAI released the first round of Sora videos a couple months ago. I immediately wondered what might happen if someone created a deepfake of Putin and Zelensky shaking hands on a peace treaty at the UN assembly, or an Alien invasion on a non-descript residential community. I decided I would try and create them. Much to my dismay, the Sora technology isn’t available to the general public, but was released rather as an insight into the capacity of these AI tools today, in an attempt to foster discussion for our collective future.
Then I began this course on critical inquiry and the timing is serendipitous.
With endless possibilities comes endless legal and ethical considerations. From Intellectual Property (IP) and copyright, to plagiarism and authorship, to bias and discrimination, or misinformation and propaganda, there is no shortage of issues to explore. As Reid Hoffman states in a video interview with his AI clone, “If everything that was coming out about AI was utopic, nirvanic, and amazing I would of course be adding in some of these questions and concerns. The problem is the vast majority of the people who are talking about this are only talking about the risks, not talking about the things that could be so amazing”. My curiosity is fuelled more by creativity and human agency than focusing on the fear of the unknown, and the shortcomings of a genie that’s not going back in the bottle.
In that spirit, I present a gallery of art generated by AI on Canva using the very same prompt “Human creativity and agency in the digital age of AI” using various styles, displayed in alphabetical order. Some are arguably better than others, but they’re all interesting to me. Enjoy.
3D
Anime
Concept Art
Dreamy
filmic
high flash
ink print
long exposure
Midcentury
Minimalist
Moody
neon
oil painting
papercut
Playful
Portrait
Psychadelic
retrowave
soft focus
stained glass
vibrant
watercolor
05/29/2024
I think it’s so odd when I hear AI evangelists and developers decry the critical commentary on AI. They all talk about how negative the landscape is for these tools, which seems to me frankly ludicrous when we see how quickly — and often without robust procurement processes — these tools have been adopted into every aspect of working life already. I’m fascinated by their need not only to develop and profit but to be lauded free of criticism or questioning. Most average end users don’t get to choose whether a process they engage with is AI-driven or not, but that’s somehow not enough: they also have to love the experience. Truly an interesting rhetorical move on the part of the developers, one that is working hard to cut off critique at its source.
06/01/2024
It must have been really interesting to dive into creating images with AI, especially with you saying DALL-E is off-limits in Vietnam. Have you stumbled upon any other AI tools or projects that got you hyped about its creative potential? I’ve also been having a blast playing around with images on Midjourney.
Your insights into the legal and ethical considerations surrounding AI art are a really interesting topic to explore. From copyright headaches to battling misinformation, it’s a complex landscape to navigate.
Your AI art gallery on Canva is seriously impressive. The variety of styles you’ve tackled is commendable. Each piece brings something unique to the table regarding human creativity and AI. Do you have a favourite among them? And have you shared these artworks with others to spark some discussions about AI and creativity?
-Radhika.A