"Oh my God, those are hundreds of my designs – how can that be?" My friend and talented artist colleague is stunned. And me? I am speechless. It was my idea for her to put her art on Pinterest to gain more visibility. After all, as artists today, we have to do a lot more to get noticed.
But then it happens. No sooner has she uploaded her magical landscapes, which have been touching hearts for over 20 years, than she stumbles upon dozens of images that look uncannily similar to hers. The shock runs deep. What at first glance looks like her works is in reality created with artificial intelligence (AI). A few seconds of work, a few words entered – and the image is done. No technique, no dedication, no years of experience. Suddenly, we artists are confronted with competition that arises with just a click.
Artificial Intelligence: Curse or Blessing?
Admittedly, AI can be fascinating. You enter a short text, and you immediately have a finished image in front of you. Fast, simple, perfect. But what about us, who have dedicated our entire lives to art? What about the passion embedded in the artworks? The long days when a work gradually takes shape? Or sometimes fails completely and the laborious work is simply destroyed? AI works are flooding social media, often displacing the work of artists who have honed their style for years.
The same thing is happening in the music industry. Musicians like Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, and Katy Perry have long warned that AI is being massively misused in music. This also applies to visual arts. Here, too, urgent education and awareness are needed.
Images generated by artificial intelligence. Source: Pinterest
Why real art from real artists?
For me, it's similar to human relationships. Why do we like to have real people around us? Because such relationships give us energy, bring us joy and comfort – but also sometimes annoy, anger, and challenge us. People are complex, contradictory, and often complicated. Artists are often the perfect embodiment of this complexity, and that is precisely what is reflected in their art.
Engaging with real art offers us a special experience: it helps us explore our own psyche and discover our uniqueness. In contrast, AI art has no soul for me. It is arbitrary, and its mass production and dissemination diminish its value. It becomes inflationary because it lacks what makes us humans and our creativity – depth and genuine feeling.
What defines real art?
Perhaps you are now asking yourself: "How do I recognize whether a picture was really painted by an artist or if it came from a machine?" That is precisely a challenge that affects all of us. At first glance, it is often difficult to tell. But there are a few clues that can help you.
- Pay attention to whether the artist shows the creation process. Are there pictures or videos that show how the work is created step by step? If only finished pictures are presented and the creative process remains hidden, caution is advised.
- The thoughts and ideas behind a work are also an important indicator. A true artist often shares their inspirations, talks about what moves them, and what stories or emotions are embedded in their pictures. You feel the passion and personality that resonate in every work.
- Another question you can ask yourself: Did the artist create art before the advent of AI, or did they suddenly appear with the new technologies? Of course, there is nothing wrong with using new tools – it is more about transparency. Is the artist honest about how they work?
- And yes, there are now technologies that print AI-generated images on canvas, making them look like real paintings. If you want such a work as inexpensive decoration for your home, that is perfectly fine. But if someone tries to sell it to you as hand-painted art and charges high prices for it, then caution is advised. That is simply fraud.
Artists, show yourselves!
Dear artists, it is more important than ever that we show ourselves! Our ideas, our enthusiasm, what drives us – all of this is valuable! It is no longer enough to silently send finished works into the world and hope they will have an impact on their own. We must become visible, tell our stories, share our motivations.
It's about supporting each other and connecting. Because honestly: the art world is tough. And you know that exactly if you make a living from it. But what would the world be without real art? Without us artists, who make the invisible visible, who capture human emotions and ideas in colors, shapes, and images?
I often think of all the great artists I know – people who have given everything for their art for decades. How sad it would be if their works were pushed into the background by AI misuse? Because art is so much more than just the end result. It is the journey there, the artist's life, the highs and lows that are in every work. That's what truly makes art special.
The Challenge in the Age of AI
Back to my friend and the AI images that are uncannily similar to her works. We talked about it for a long time. What to do? How to deal with the fact that our laborious work is now competing with perfectly generated images? It hurts, no question. But perhaps the solution lies in showing ourselves even more – not just the perfect end results, but also the path there. The small setbacks, the real artist's life, which is not always perfect. Perhaps that is precisely what distinguishes us. Our humanity and our philosophy of life.
And now?
The question remains: What will you make of it? What does it mean to you when art is increasingly made by machines?
I believe that as artists, we are embarking on a kind of modern hero's journey. Our art is not perfect, but that's what makes it so human and inspiring. Perhaps you will look more closely the next time you buy a piece of art. Perhaps you will choose a work that reminds you daily of what true, human creativity means.
Because art is more than just a picture. Art is life, and human life is art.
