And actually, what IS art anyway?

Art is something we do, a verb. Art is an expression of our thoughts, emotions, intuitions, and desires, but it is even more personal than that: it’s about sharing the way we experience the world, which for many is an extension of personality. It is the communication of intimate concepts that cannot be faithfully portrayed by words alone. And because words alone are not enough, we must find some other vehicle to carry our intent. But the content that we instill on or in our chosen media is not in itself the art. Art is to be found in how the media is used, the way in which the content is expressed.

Wm. Joseph Nieters, Philosophy Now

Many definitions of “art” specify that it is the result of human activity, which many take to mean that AI-generated imagery is excluded. But is it really? Where is the line between Midjourney and Illustrator and Photoshop and the digital cameras all of us have on our phones?

I would bet that if you asked an 18th century painter if using a digital camera was art, they would say no. How can it be art when all you do is point the camera at something and press a button? But is that all art really is?

Not all photos are art. Just like not all painting creates art (at least not when I’m painting my walls at home). So what is the difference between photos and art? It’s the thought and intention that goes into it. Creating and crafting a scene, then snapping the image with just the right exposure and light to capture the emotion and convey it to the audience. It’s art if it makes you feel something.

Art is in the eye of the beholder.

So then why would AI generated images not be art? They are an expression of human imagination, created using detailed text prompts and refined through the use of the AI. In creating the following images, the first image I got required a number of tweaks and revisions to get them to what I would call art. Random images are not art, the same way random photos are not art. But when you gradually refine the subject and parameters until the image evokes the emotions you’re looking for….that’s art.

After seeing some the elaborate and detailed text prompts that others put into the engine, I am even more convinced that AI-generated art is still real art. AI is a tool, like Photoshop, or a painbrush, or the duct tape that was used to tape a banana to the wall.

AI generated art can be more accessible for people who can’t learn Photoshop. It still takes creativity and knowledge to craft the text prompts and tweak them until the image is what you want.

Based on what I saw, Midjourney certainly seems to be better suited towards the hyper-realism styles of artwork, as opposed to abstract or imitation painting styles – but perhaps I just saw users with more skill in those styles (or I am just drawn to them myself).