AI in Art

Today, no field is untouched by Artificial Intelligence and Art is no

exception. Today, AI artwork is no longer cloudy or pixelated, but is
photorealistic with proper volumetrics, textures and lighting. The
technology used in such artworks is amazing and worth exploring.
Let’s answer the burning question: how does AI create art? Well, like
any other AI implementation, we have a bunch of machine learning
algorithms which can reference a particular set of data and provide A to
B mappings. First, you provide the algorithm a text prompt, say,
“astronaut staring into post-apocalyptic wonderland” and the algorithm
will divide your request into separate phrases/words. For example, the
algorithm might consider “astronaut” and “post-apocalyptic
wonderland” as the subject and the setting respectively. Furthermore,
it might consider the words “staring into” as the action of the subject.
Now, it will consider and render each phrase separately. For the
rendering, it combines various reference images, 2-d rendering
systems, Art Styles and even Camera Specifications. Then, it will
combine all the individual renders to create one good image.
The fun part about these is that they can surprise you every time with
something new. Every Algorithm is like a different artist, they may
provide different results, even if they have been given the same
prompt. This is due to differences in coding of the Algorithms. Due to
unique training, they acquire unique characteristics. Every algorithm
thus develops a “liking” for certain art styles or elements.
For example, the Artistic Algorithm loves being artistic, even if it means
breaking the laws of physics and creating floating buildings. Meanwhile,
the Coherent algorithm is coded to strictly follow the laws of physics,
even if that means compromising a bit on artistic elements. Another
algorithm, Dall-E 2, can produce HD photorealistic images which look
less like artworks and more like photos taken on a DSLR. Midjuorney,
meanwhile, loves strokes of paint, like a real painter would. Latest
Innovations also enable AI Image Generation Algorithms to copy a
painter’s style, so you could have Vincent Van Gogh painting
skyscrapers in a Manhattan Skyline soon…
AI Image Generation will, for better or for worse, revolutionize the Art
and Photography Industry forever. Debate continues on whether AI
should be allowed to copy painter’s styles, and on the ethicality of
some content created by AI. If Photorealism continues to develop with
the same pace, the stock photo industry might become obsolete.
Painters might find out their fine art is worthless. On the flip side, AI
image generation may help emerging NFT artists as well. Only time will
what impact AI will have on the Arts.