Written by Benjamin Fouché
There is a great deal of dread pervading the minds of artists, writers, and musicians alike. And this dread is known by many as Generative AI. A technology trained on the creative work of human beings, it can put together music, images, and writing based off of instructions fed to it by the user. Although there currently exist numerous tell-tale flaws within the content it produces, many are fearful that—over time—it will only become more accurate in what it replicates. And due to this increasing precision, creative individuals fear AI will inevitably put them out of work. They argue that companies will prefer the inexpensive route of paying a subscription for a service rather than paying human artists, writers, and musicians for their work. Understandably, creators are also upset that these programs have been trained on copyrighted, human-made material—oftentimes without the consent of the original creator. Consequently, concerns of intellectual theft committed by the companies who train these machines become undeniably valid. And thus, the creators’ future livelihoods are not only being jeopardized, but their current work is being stolen—sometimes even without their knowledge.
One of the other major problems arises from a
general ignorance in the populace. Regrettably,
it consists of many people who are unaware, indifferent, or see absolutely
nothing wrong with Generative AI. And rather
than acknowledge the problems, they are solely focused on the benefits. Worse, there are also the unapologizing
advocates themselves, who claim that simply typing instructions within a prompt
is somehow equivalent to human inspiration.
Thus, they willfully ignore that the very work upon which these AI models
were trained took years—and sometimes decades—to accomplish by their human
creators. For any true artist struggles;
his or her life is full of trial and error.
There were mountains of failure, disappointment, and doubt that they had
to overcome in order to acquire the skills they have today. A machine does not know pain, suffering, and
sacrifice. Yet even other humans themselves
do not always sympathize with such hardships.
The unfortunate reality is that this is not a world of abundant compassion.
Profit and expediency are king to businesses, whereas principle,
idealism, and honor are often disregarded entirely and laughed at by those who
solely seek their self-interests. It
would also be equally dangerous not to admit that the future appears to be
increasingly in favor of AI within all aspects of life (especially
within our daily lives).
Yet despite these seemingly dreary times, there
is something humans possess that machines will never: a lifelong, unique
experience—from which to draw and harness infinite inspiration. It
is certainly worth pondering. From what places were some of the most
notable pieces of literature, art, and music in the entire history of humanity
inspired? The answer to that question is the mind, heart,
and soul. For the paths we cross with others—the good
and joyful—the bad and sorrowful—the special moments alone or with others—and
the things we witness on these journeys—no program can ever
replicate. Indeed, human creators retain something quite
extraordinary and unique. True, it may be, that many companies will
only value what is efficient and cheap. But there will always exist
other humans who appreciate a song written by a musician or a story written be
a writer. Thus, it is the connection creators make with these kinds
of people that is extremely imperative.
Furthermore, the forthcoming conflict is all the more a reason to
encourage awareness and support. And being brothers and sisters in this struggle, we must hold up
one another.
Yet one might doubt and question how this would make any significant impact. Are not these sentiments merely wishful thinking—or perhaps simply a coping naiveté? Although the pessimists will—no doubt—insist on creators giving up, I believe the aforementioned vision is actually quite realistic. With the precise coordination, ambition, and momentum, the opportunity can be seized. Indeed, creators must take advantage of the various spaces currently online—especially platforms meant to promote specific artistic mediums. For example, Bandcamp is one of the best websites to support independent musicians. The majority of the proceeds go to the band, and there are numerous download options for albums or songs. Likewise, countless visual artists may be discovered on Bēhance; here, artists may proudly display their portfolios, highlighting their most striking accomplishments. As for writers, The Writer’s Beat is an excellent forum for writers seeking feedback on their fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. For a wide-range of hand-crafted items, Etsy is an excellent place to search for and purchase such independently made products. There are, of course, many other platforms in existence that can help creators promote, share, and sell their work to a potential following.
Ultimately, creators must not wallow in despair and give up. Rather, they should all come together—now more than ever—and evaluate the options that exist before their very eyes. Waiting for a technological dystopia to arrive certainly will not help anything—or others for that matter. Conversations need to happen, as this is where the commonality amongst creators can be found—as well as ideas of how to move forward in an increasingly AI-centered world. Furthermore, discussing ways in which works may be protected from AI and bringing this issue to the attention of big platforms could potentially help change the policies and awareness of such companies. And once more, it is important to remember that there will always exist those who appreciate human-made art; this is precisely why the platforms on which creative work is shared must be brought to the attention of such individuals. In the end, human creativity and determination are the tools that will ensure that real art is never eclipsed by the soulless mimicry of a machine.
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