AI in Creative Industries: A New Era of Digital Art
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Artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues to earn accolades on the global stage for innovation and efficiency. AI tech presents exponential learning opportunities that benefit every industry, from education and medicine to media and entertainment.
Whether AI technology is limited or not, it’s here to stay. It will play a transformative role in every professional sector. Still, few people know that AI tech isn’t solely for the STEMS – science, technology, engineering, and medicine. The creative industries are on the innovation train and entering a new era of digital art. One that is reshaping the landscape and challenging the boundaries of human creativity.
Fine art fields, such as music composition and production, find AI tools easy to use. Writing, film, visual arts, and everything in between are also experiencing an evolution as AI apps, tools, and generative software enter the scene.
It wasn’t until these last couple of years, with the breakthroughs in computing technology, that AI art began making waves. Once the technology hit the mainstream, creatives in every medium discovered what it could mean.
AI’s impact on visual arts
Today’s artists are learning more about how AI tools are becoming essential in their work. Still, philosophical questions remain popular. For example, art was a form of unique human expression. Now that AI can support the creative process, what does that mean for originality? Is the work still unique?
To answer this, understanding how AI art generation works is crucial. Generative AI accesses the entirety of art history and, when prompted by a human partner, can create an art piece that meets certain parameters. Those guidelines are placed by the user, making the project a human-AI joint effort.
AI in painting and digital art creation improves with every software update. In some cases, AI technology can learn and improve despite making mistakes. Does that mean it’s perfect? Sure, the result can be astounding, but it’s argued that the human touch adds to that piece. The end product or creation presented to the world is superior art that wouldn’t have been possible without this collaboration.
AI in music composition and production
Music is another expressive art form that's transforming thanks to AI. The music industry has been integrating AI for a few years now. Examples of generative AI in this industry include platforms like Meta’s Audiocraft and OpenAI’s MuseNet. Artists, professionals, and users of all levels now have equal access to a tool that can help enable music creation. Because these resources are becoming more accessible, experts go as far as theorizing that generative AI technology democratizes creativity.
AI’s role in the music industry is to help enhance production, not to replace the human aspect. Generative AI in music production and composition continues to need human input. AI algorithms can process and produce music thanks to machine learning. However, the process begins with analyzing large datasets of existing music. What the computer program is fed are the parameters set by the user. From there, the AI can develop patterns and structures that often mirror the current content. A true collaboration of human-AI music creation occurs during this and the editing process.
It won’t be long before AI-generated music becomes mainstream. With educators contributing to AI technology, the boom will continue to gain ground. For example, a university professor helped create an AI tool that may compose music without relying on human intervention. The results are astonishing, with potential applications beyond helping musicians create popular material.
Generative AI in musical composition may also have therapeutic benefits. Once these tools become widely accepted in the professional sector, this benefit of AI-influenced music gets some recognition. The door will open for studying topics like this with the primary goal of finding holistic health solutions. The combination of advantages of AI integration into the music industry has become exponential.
Revolutionizing film and animation with AI
AI has been used in the animation and film industry for decades, but the last few years have seen major growth. From screenplay writing and video editing to special effects and movie production, the technology has filmmakers, producers, and general audiences truly impressed. Even voice cloning and digital re-aging are stirring up heavy attention in the movie-making and advertising worlds.
AI algorithms are continuing to boost this sector from the ground up. Movie critic commentary, expertise, and backgrounds are analyzed by advanced machine learning technology. That data is collected and used to support a machine movie critic that predicts whether a film will be well-received. Similar means are used in current applications. For instance, producers and directors can use script analysis AI tools, such as ScriptBook, to determine whether a movie script will be successful.
Other tools, like Cinelytic, can help with details like the movie and story structure, elements, character development, set, and setting. AI-assisted films, such as The Frost, along with fully generated animations, depend on scenes generated by AI image-making software. The movies may not be hitting the big screen, but the evolution of film is here and with it, a new genre.
Fears and expectations of AI in creative art
Common fears for this AI revolution include whether it will replace humans and/or be better than humans. As with all art, what’s created is subjective to the viewer. The saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” comes to mind.
Just because generative AI might be faster at producing a piece of art doesn’t mean it can create something better. This shouldn’t be a point of contention. If the AI tool meets expectations, creators and users alike will be able to improve upon AI-generated content. Better still, they may be able to perfect it.
The idea, belief, or theory that AI is more than a technological tool has caused some debate. AI is sometimes anthropomorphized as if the artificial intelligence is uncannily human-like. Questions that spark fear, excitement, and intriguing conversations include: is AI self-aware? If so, does it have agency? Should it have agency?
Such loaded questions are in constant rotation for scientists, computer experts, and tech theorists. That's natural, especially when experts and the community grapple with the same feelings. Those feelings and thoughts are based on high expectations and fear of the unknown. After all, what can't be predicted is the broader picture of a futuristic creative arts world. One where AI has a singular category. That seems like the next progression since the art world is already exploring AI-generated work.
Challenges and ethical considerations
At first sight, the nature of AI in creative arts is fascinating. That doesn’t mean AI digital art, like AI Photoshop, hasn't caused some upset. What this technology has done is force the creative community to rethink what it means to collaborate with AI.
Is AI a tool to help improve the work? Is AI generative art a partner in that creation? These are some questions that still don’t have a solid answer. Some experts state that the question shouldn’t be so binary. It shouldn’t be AI or human creativity but a collaboration that produces superior results consistently.
Originality and copyright issues are also on the table as the debate continues. What will the legal aspects of ownership be? Where does the credit go? What are the immediate consequences of full AI deployment? Will society have to contend more with disinformation, job displacement, and challenges to the current legal structure?
Although a complex topic, the answer should include a legal framework that benefits creators and users alike. It should adequately protect the rights of artists while still having an overall positive impact on society. Regardless of which camp people choose to fall under, one thing is for certain: AI technology is here to stay. After all, creating tools that make life easier is a driving force for artificial intelligence.
Potential and future trends
In terms of labor, AI will help accelerate the creative process, but there are still limitations. For example, beginning any art project with a blank slate is something this tech is unable to achieve. Human imagination has that covered, even if that creative process isn’t as fast as a software program or AI application. This understanding gives us an idea of what the future might look like.
AI will enable new forms of art and entertainment. Current AI tools can produce intriguing creative works. Integrating VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) has the potential to make a significant impact. Imagine being able to enter an AI-generated film as your favorite character, made possible thanks to VR tech. Once that tech gets introduced, it won’t be long before AR raises the bar. That’s certainly fitting the futuristic view that AI-related films tend to depict.
The art, music, and film industry might not be initially prepared for it. Serious conversations are necessary to address how these tools should complement the creative work. The major query is: How will these AI tools complement human partners as opposed to replacing them?
Summary
The transformative impact of AI in the creative world is something that should be embraced. Why? Because as these technologies continue advancing, it will take a lot of work to keep up. Understand that the aesthetic arts have as much to gain from AI technology as any other industry.
The expansion of these technologies will be more noticeable as the film, music, and art industries incorporate AI tools into the creative process. A new era of digital art is here, and navigating it requires some finesse.
Exploring all the possibilities offered by AI tech is a seemingly endless task. The major takeaway is that no matter how much information there is, the potential for creativity makes it all worthwhile.
