Recently, I met a visual artist and asked them about their work. They told me that although being a professional artist had always been tough, lately things had gotten much worse.A few weeks ago, they were contacted by a client hoping to commission a drawing. The artist jumped at the opportunity and spent several weeks putting together samples. When they sent the samples to the client, the reply they got was both disappointing and disturbing.
This shift is a redistribution of not just artistic labor but also artistic wealth—from the hands and mouths of artists to the hands and mouths of tech CEOs. A modern-day version of John Henry vs. the machine.One thing we might do is ban at least some AI art. This move will likely be resisted, however, especially by businesses hoping to profit from AI and by clients hoping to cut costs. It also seems like an option that will be difficult to enforce. But it still might be worth a shot.