We live in a digital age where everything revolves around technology, whether in industry or the economy. Computer-based activities are popular everywhere, and with the advancement of computer technology, getting information has become easier. There is a noticeable and rapid shift in almost all the departments compared to the time when computers did not exist. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a computer science field that enables machines to do the work humans have been doing till now. That is slowly overtaking a lot of tasks and also art. Leigh Witherell contemporary figurative artist living in Melbourne, Florida, views the onset of AI in art and creativity in a rational way.
AI's Influence on Art and Creativity
Artificial Intelligence is evolving in the art scene, just like any other workforce. Leigh Witherell is aware of the challenges brought into the art world by AI, but she is confident that it will be a long time before AI can replace the artist’s role. She does not view it as a threat or as a tool for creativity. Witherell knows it is changing the landscape of art and the artist and uses it accordingly.
According to Witherell, AI helps expand her compositions and take them to dimensions that are beyond her comprehension. That way she finds Artificial Intelligence to be an excellent partner because it aids her in answering questions, crafting ideas, thoughts, writings, and many other things. She looks at it as a useful tool that makes her life easier. Witherell feels artists should be given the freedom to decide if they want to use AI in their work or not.
Artificial Intelligence cannot replace art or creativity because that comes from the heart and soul of an artist. That will be missing in an AI-generated artwork, and that piece of art will not connect with humans the way non-AI-generated art would. Witherell, though, incorporates AI-powered image generators into her creative process. She uses AI images as references for her paintings, but these images are never seen by the public. Since she does not like the process of sketching, AI comes to her help there.
Leigh Witherell views AI just as a tool, like palette knives. She knows AI is controversial, but there is no going back on artificial intelligence because it is already out there. Witherell’s aversion is because many of these generators do not take the permission of the artists when it comes to training on art.
The Internet is not a place where there is privacy. Witherell knows her images can be taken and used elsewhere in some other context. She knows it is the price an artist must pay for getting exposure hence, she does not advertise her process. The generators she uses for her work are trained on her style, and Witherell hopes she doesn’t steal another artist’s work, even accidentally.
Witherell knows how important it is to be on platforms like Meta, and what annoys her most is the guidelines they have for nude pictures. Sometimes, her fine nudes are censored for showing a breast, and she gets frustrated looking at another artist’s work that shows the male anatomy.
Artificial Intelligence cannot be a threat to any artist, nor can it take the place of any artist. Artworks often reflect the artists’ emotions and feelings, and AI cannot be in that space where the emotions and feelings run vividly over the artist’s canvas. The intimate and profound moments of life, human emotions, and the depth and intensity of interpersonal relationships cannot be AI-generated. It requires a human touch.