Apps that use artificial intelligence cause debate in the arts sector

Indianapolis, Indiana – Online tools like Lensa, Mid Journey, and Stable Diffusion search online databases for photos that will be utilized in artificial intelligence developments.

The photographs can then be downloaded to a phone or tablet by users. The artists that produce the reference photos frequently go uncredited.

“That imagery can come from royalty-free, copyright-free imagery that is up there for common use, but it can also come from artists whose imagery found their way on there without those artists’ permission,” said local artist Matt Panfil.

The majority of applications charge customers a monthly or annual price to utilize the service, but the artists whose works were used to create the algorithm for the artificial intelligence don’t receive a penny of that.

“I don’t think AI art as of now is fair for artists, but I don’t know if that’s relevant because it’s a runaway train, it’s like the horse is out of the stable at this point,” Panfil said.

According to Panfil, AI will someday supplant the kinds of manual labor that craftsmen currently perform, including set, character, and logo creation. Artificial intelligence performs the work more quickly and cheaply. He thinks that artists should embrace AI for this reason.

“I also have very complex views about the ramifications of this emerging technology, and the implications of it for every kind of artist out there,” Panfil said.

According to Panfil, not all AI generators use copyrighted content, and not all content produced by the technology is a perfect replica of the original.