Is High On Life's AI Art Really That Controversial?

DualShockers Writes "Aggressive reactions against High on Life’s AI feel a little pre-emptive."

[HeliosHex]

"Some argue that it takes work away from actual artists, which is essentially the ‘anti-automation’ argument–this idea that automation and using technology for tasks once carried out by humans takes jobs away from humans."

Seriously man.....what in the living hell is wrong with some people today.?

My God it was just a few small paintings generated for the game world. Most people don't even care or wouldn't even notice. Obviously it was more cost effective and time saving just to have the paintings generated than to hire an expensive time consuming artist. There will always be a place for artist of all kinds who's works are appreciated.

Are we ever going to be able to just enjoy a game without someone nitpicking and flying into a fear induced rage for such trivial things? Dam it's getting old and sickening already.

[lucian229]

Say you aren't an artist without telling us.

It isn't about the art pieces in the game, ur even you admit it just took away a job from a real artist. This is happening all over. Yes in general there will always be a human drawing, but that doesn't mean that humans won't lose their jobs just because there are some human artist left.

Art was already over saturated with talent, and not it has to compete with zero talent people typing in one or two words or even worse, inserting someone else's art work and generating a variation.

Art isn't just about money, it's about feeling fulfilled, and being able to work while doing it is even better. It'd be like saying you like watching ai play a video game for you..... No, that's lame.... Automation isn't the key to everything.

[HeliosHex]

Bro its fear mongering. There's tons of work for artist, there will always be work for artist as needed. There's hundreds and hundreds of positions for artist in thousands of fields. Who's to say an artist would've even wanted the job? Maybe none wanted it. There's room in the world for both. Automation has its benefits from a business standpoint but also it gives artist more options. For example let's say an artist had two offers to do a job but he can't do both he would automate one get paid still while going to the other job and physically doing the work. Win win for all. It's not all doom and gloom is what iam saying. And a small business Like the ones who did this game needs to save money so I understand the choice. And look at that the game didn't even do well with mediocre reviews and is not selling well. Imagine paying more money for an artist for an unproven title. It just makes more sense to have options and be prudent with an untested new ip.

[CS7]

1. Progress always means that some jobs would become obsolete. Prepare for that eventuality by constantly learning new skills and providing value. It’s not nice but whining and complaining does nothing to stop. AI will decimate alot of jobs in the next 50 years. Prepare for that accordingly.

2. For all the jobs that AI destroys it would generate entirely new industries that we can’t even fathom right now. (Try explaining YouTube to someone in the 1970’s) For example, with AI art it become much easy to become an indie game developer and release even bigger games. With automation, maybe AAA quality games may be able to be done by a single developer.

Automation is coming to everything that it possibly can. Stop moaning and look for opportunities in the challenges.

[porkChop]

Bro using AI for small, meaningless shit like this frees up artists to focus on the other parts of the game that are far more important.

[Zeref]

AI art will never replace human art because human art is more about the person who made it and their vision rather than purely if it's good art or not.

I think what this will do is make things a lot easier for indie developers who might not have the money to hire an artist or programmer to build their games.

I feel like this is more freeing than people realize.
As AI Art becomes more prelevant.

The demand and price for human art is gonna go up. So the end I believe it will benefit artists.

[lucian229]

you are missing the point; imagine spending 100 hours, you post a piece on art station and it's instantly buried in 5 mins by cheap AI art. People who were scouted on Artstation now have way less of a chance to get a job or be seen. YOU are not an artist and it shows lol. it isnt fear mongering, it's happening now; people are literally stealing peoples art on purpose and cant be sued.

AI can be cool as a utility but people are using it to be thieves. Blame them.

[Christopher]

My issue is that AI is generated off the backs of other artwork, so is it appropriate to use it for a project in which you will earn money in any form? I know it's not a big thing in the game, it's just a general issue I have with AI being used in to make money when AI only exists because of other peoples' IP.

[porkChop]

Is it any different from artists taking inspiration from other artist's work to create new art?

[Christopher]

***Is it any different from artists taking inspiration from other artist's work to create new art?***

Yes, especially when you are making work based on said inspiration and it isn't being used as satire/parody.

[generic-user-name]

"AI is generated off the backs of other artwork"

While that's true, it's never a direct copy and serves more as 'inspiration'. If I draw a portrait of Winnie the Pooh in Yoji Shinkawa's art style in real life, nobody can tell me I can't sell that or use it any way I want, but because I took a shortcut by not dedicating 1000s of hours of my life to it to achieve the same outcome, it's bad?

[Christopher]

***If I draw a portrait of Winnie the Pooh in Yoji Shinkawa's art style in real life, nobody can tell me I can't sell that or use it any way I want***

They literally can. Pooh and his image are copyrighted.

[porkChop]

Winnie the Pooh is public domain. There is no copyright. That's why there's a Winnie the Pooh horror film coming out next year.

[lucian229]

Yes pork chop because with AI you can grab any art piece, add it to the AI and create a close variation. It isn't exactly the same but it's very very close. You can also type in the name of an artist and use their art style.... So yes it's very different than inspiration.

Besides as the Oxford definition says, art is something from a human. Ai doesn't have talent. You can spell mickey mouse wrong and still get copyright stolen material to sell

[notachance]

where were all these protesting people when companies replaced factory workers with robots?

There’s no stopping technologies, better get used to it.

[lonewolf10]

Sad but true.

[Christopher]

Umm... Unions in the U.S. had a ton to say about being replaced by automation.

[franwex]

At one point the Unions will have to concede that paying someone $100K a year plus benefits is too much as other jobs open up due to AI.

Typists used to be a job 100 years ago. How many typists still exists?

[Christopher]

***At one point the Unions will have to concede that paying someone $100K a year plus benefits is too much ***

At one point you'll need to concede that you shouldn't get your pay scale and benefits scale from billionaires who don't want people to make a living wage or to have benefits at all. See: Railroad workers who literally don't even have sick leave and have a history of being denied time off in general to meet economic demands and leave them unable to make reasonable doctor appointments because of this. Also see massive decline in benefits in general and <2% on average increases in wages on average, even at unions.

***Typists used to be a job 100 years ago. How many typists still exists?***

Data entry is still a massive job market. You just don't realize that the name changed.

[franwex]

Noticed how I was referring to Unions and you’re referring to me personally? I’m not anti-union. Both of my parents had unions. I’m not a labor Union either-I don’t have to personally concede anything.

I’m simply stating that due to automation even labor unions will have to realize that a lot of jobs will become outdated as new jobs are created.

Also my mom used to be a typist many-many years ago. That did not translate to a data entry as they’re a completely different industry. A locomotive diesel mechanic will not translate to an airplane turbine mechanic.

Jobs are protected to a degree, not guaranteed by unions.

[Christopher]

***Noticed how I was referring to Unions and you’re referring to me personally?***

I've addressed your argument. And I still stand by what I said.

***Also my mom used to be a typist many-many years ago. That did not translate to a data entry as they’re a completely different industry. A locomotive diesel mechanic will not translate to an airplane turbine mechanic.***

This is nonsense. Typist easily translates to data entry. Same keyboard layouts and purpose of entering data with them. And then you're metaphor is laughably wrong.

[franwex]

I see. We’re trying to win arguments with strangers, not engage in dialogue. My mistake.

[EazyC]

I do programming for a living -- and it looks like we're going to get replaced by AI in time. Ironically, part of the reason I took up the field I'm in is because I wanted to avoid being made obsolete by machines!

We're all being replaced.

[Duke19]

People just want to be angry nowadays. What a non story

[Ninver]

The next apocalypse can't come soon enough. These cancel culture pansies will be the first ones eradicated. Then the world can go back to its glorious originality.