AI as a Collaborator, not a Replacer

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the impact of generative AI tools on the creative industries, and how artists, writers, musicians, and other creators can adapt to and leverage these new technologies.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Impact of Generative AI on Creators

1. What are the key concerns that creators have about generative AI tools?

• Many creators fear that generative AI is stealing their jobs, as these tools can produce works at a much cheaper cost and faster throughput than using human creators.
• There is widespread panic among creative communities about the threat to their livelihoods.

2. How does the article suggest creators should view generative AI?

• The article offers a different perspective, suggesting that creators should view generative AI as another tool in their toolbox, rather than a replacement for their work.
• Generative AI can act as a collaborator, working with the artist towards a goal that contains the desired quality and emotional connection, but at a much faster pace than the artist creating alone from scratch.

3. What are the limitations of current generative AI tools?

• Generative AI is only concerned with predicting pixels and has no concept of emotion or the human elements that give art meaning and emotional resonance.
• Generating high-quality, usable works requires a significant amount of time and effort to "massage" the AI outputs, with the artist responsible for the last 20% that elevates the work to perfection.

[02] Leveraging Generative AI as a Creative Tool

1. How does the article suggest creators can use generative AI effectively?

• Creators should view generative AI as a tool and collaborator, not a replacement for their work.
• By asserting control over the process, such as through workflows like ComfyUI, creators can shape the AI-generated outputs to align with their creative vision and imbue the work with their own emotional resonance.
• The article highlights the approach of artist Martin Nebelong, who uses generative AI as a starting point and then composites and refines the outputs to create his final works.

2. What are the ethical and legal considerations around using generative AI?

• There are concerns about the use of models trained on the likenesses or styles of famous people or artists without their consent, which could lead to issues around copyright and licensing.
• The article suggests that as the technology evolves, there will likely be a need for appropriate legislation and licensing models to regulate the use of these generative AI tools.

3. How can creators leverage their own creative works with generative AI?

• The article suggests that creators should control the licensing of models trained on their own creative works, just as they would with any other collaboration or licensing arrangement.
• This could become a new business opportunity, where clients can license the use of specific styles, artists, or even actors' likenesses for their campaigns, without needing to directly involve the original creators.