To worry that AI will put digital artists out of work?

[lemonandrea]

I've been working as a digital artist for only a few years and I love my job.

I'm worried that as AI gets better my job will be at risk. I've seen some amazing examples of what it can do and in all honesty I feel quite threatened by it.

I think AI will eventually take over a huge amount of jobs. It’s something you need to learn to use to your advantage.

DD is at art-school for illustration....

I think you're safe unless the legal framework changes. AI art can't be copyrighted, which means that many clients will shy away from it!

I think we should all feel threatened by AI and yes, I can understand your concerns OP.

I voted YANBU OP but I think for now you don't have to worry too much. I was looking at some AI generated pictures on the weekend and at first glance it's very good depending on the requirements. A lot of the times the details just aren't right.

As @PhotoDad correctly points out, the images can't be copyrighted and anybody can make them so people paying for digital art are still going to want custom work.

Did you consider that a 'digital' artist might put a 'real' artist (i.e one who works with real, tactile mediums) out of work, or that they may feel threatened? I doubt it
Tech moves on, we've all had to deal with a machine that can do bits of our job.
But you may with to consider retraining so you can futureproof yourself....

Did you mean to be so rude? OP is clearly a young person starting out in their career and you think that's a helpful thing to say?

How is a digital artist not a "real" artist?

Isn't it unbelievable that it's the creative industries which seem one of the most at risk? Who could have ever predicted this?

I don't think it's particularly rude, just realistic. These changes have happened throughout time and people need to learn to change and use it to their advantage rather than doggedly stick to what they know. Home Video Players were meant to be the death of cinema, computers did away with the typing pool, synthesisers have changed the need for instrumentalists.

It is not just creative industries. Most white collar jobs will be under threat over the next few years.

Sorry OP. I would carry on as you are. No one knows how AI/AGI will play out over the next decade.

Try using AI, you will quickly see that it isn’t going to put you out of work. Firstly the images aren’t perfect, they always have faults (especially hands). Secondly it’s hard to get exactly what you want.

As a digital artist you may have to learn to use AI to speed up your workflow, perhaps taking an AI image and editing it, or using it as a background and drawing on top, etc. But it won’t replace you. People who can’t afford a human artist may use AI, but they were never going to hire you anyway.

@Penny103 Did you mean to be so rude? OP is clearly a young person starting out in their career and you think that's a helpful thing to say? How is a digital artist not a "real" artist

OP has been working for a few years. If you read my post properly, I outlined what I meant by 'real' artist
I did not say anywhere that a digital artist was not a real artist.
I was illustrating that the OPs job was a 'modern' version of a 'traditional' skill, and the tools that the OP uses may well make a 'traditional' artist who works with 'real' material such as oil painy or stone, may feel threatened by digital artists and the modern medium they use.

Are you engaged with some communities for digital artists? There's loads of discussion around this. I would get involved more in what industry leaders are saying. Some have taken a hard stance on it and I've seen one guy quit over it. Future proofing is hard but you just have to keep informed and move with skills.

With the copyright issue/non issue - isn’t the risk that people won’t be honest and instead pretend it isn’t AI generated so it can be copyrighted?

I work professionally in both digital and fine art mediums (motion graphics, video and graphic design for a large corporation. I also teach fine art) They are all very real mediums that all require skill and talent. Don’t be so dismissive.

Copywriter here - I feel your pain OP. AI is already having a huge impact in my field. Yes we can use it as a tool, hone our skills as prompt engineers and then refine the results. But if a business with four writers now only needs one plus AI, then 75% of us are screwed.

That said, there is a genericness to AI art and writing that makes it seem inauthentic. Perhaps we’ll end up with a two tier system where ‘quality’ brands will pride themselves on largely using humans.

I’m worried that within a few years, AI will be writing books and authors will find themselves unemployed. I feel your pain, OP. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much we can do to prevent it happening. As others have said, perhaps embracing it and using it alongside your current skill set is something you might want to consider trying.

It’s going to impact on every area of the economy.

I work in law and it’s pretty clear that fairly soon (next decade) the routine, standardised, day to day stuff, particularly that done by paralegals, is going to be done by AI. It’s also going to cut the time needed on more complex tasks. A lot of that stuff is already commoditised. There’ll always be a need for senior, experienced human lawyers providing tactical advice on complex matters, and in areas which are “human” focussed. However, we’re all having to think about how those services are delivered, paid for, and how we add value to our clients.

The only impediment I can see is that experienced, senior lawyers aren’t grown in test tubes - you get there by cutting your teeth on routine, standardised, day to day stuff. If AI is doing all that, how do we train the next generation or give them exposure to real legal work to build up skills and experience?

It will level the playing field in many ways. Not just for artists but suddenly your literacy isn't quite the advantage it used to be, because everybody can "write" good emails or passable reports using AI.

I read that it's bigger than the invention of the internet and look how much that changed the world in such a short time.

The issue with Ai is mostly lack of disclosure. I f designer A is building images by hand and designer B is using AI without disclosure, then designer B can charge less for their work and therefore gain an unfair advantage. However, if the designer B discloses the use of AI, the client can chose to pay less for AI product or more for artist-built product and this would be consumer choice. The designer A could demand higher price for their final goods due to artisanal nature of work (think IKEA furniture over bespoke carpentry).
So the use of AI is less of an issue, lack of disclosure is what is problematic.

This.

I do find it worrying tbh. AI will evolve and who knows where it will lead.

The seeds of people realising the inherent problems with AI in the creative arts and in industry are starting to show.

AI art and writing isn't art. It's just automated plagarism. Companies and consumers are waking up to that and are actively moving away from using AI in their processes. What is likely to happen is that stock imagery will become more and more AI based but for the most part humans will be involved in anything substantial.

AI based but for the most part humans will be involved in anything substantial.

Not sure how true this statement is...
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