automation anticipation
Here’s something weird I saw on the internet. There’s a new app going viral that allows you to create a 3D cartoon version of any photo you upload. Below are two examples made with images of myself:
Don’t worry, I already deleted the app. But it’s probably too late—who knows what I’ve taught the algorithm by creating the examples for this post. Oh well.
Why does this interest me? I’m fascinated by the indication of how close we are to fully automated digital “art.” The cartoon-ified versions of me don’t look perfect. But they were made in 10 seconds, using a free app, with random low quality photos I had on my phone. Imagine what could be done with a little more time and money.
Then imagine what the future might look like. The animation industry could automate this process rather than hire a team of artists. There’s already lots of animation made using motion capture (in which an actor portrays a scene wearing a bunch of wires, and a computer creates the animated figure).
This looks like writing on the wall to me. I think automation is the future of commercial art.
It’s not to say that artists will become completely obsolete in the commercial space (i.e., where the money is). It’s more about numbers. The industry will require many fewer artists to produce the same amount of work, in a time when it seems like more people than ever want to be professional artists. At a time when art schools—meant to funnel students into desirable industries like this—have never been more expensive.
And the changes have already occurred. Many industry art jobs are now contract-based. When the project ends, the artist is no longer employed. The situation begins to look more problematic: art schools (and the general “follow your dreams!” rhetoric) encourage young people, who are mostly terrified of miserable “adult” lives defined by boring day jobs, to spend a fortune for access to an industry that doesn’t need most of them.
MFA programs for writers function in a similar way, though it feels a little less evil if the program is funded. I also think some people attend MFA programs for social reasons more than writing reasons. Still, the assumption remains: the degree will make the student into a writing professor, which is a solid, not-too-miserable job. (And maybe—just maybe—adjacent enough to their own writing that they will be launched into a full-time writing career, and won’t have to teach after all.) The reality of jobs for professors is perhaps even more bleak than industry art.
And writers outside academia shouldn’t feel safe from AI, either! Just Google “ai article writer” to see how many services now offer fully automated blog post/website content/article generators. I had some content generated using a free site called Zyro.com. I selected a subject from a list of topics and it spit out several possible results.
Here’s one result generated from my selection “Art Gallery”:
To explore the possibilities of the gallery space and the artist’s work, we host private and group exhibitions as well as events, exhibitions, and workshops. We offer a wide range of events such as the annual Art Market (October to February), Art and Politics conference, and the annual Art Contest (June to September). The gallery is housed in a building that once housed a community art space. Our collection now is housed in the newly renovated building.
And here’s one from my selection “Coffee Shop”:
The latest innovations in the industry and our ongoing research in the fields of sustainable production, environmental and social impact have made a big impact on the coffee industry and the environment (which is a good thing in my opinion). Look out for more from The Coffee Crew in the future, as we continue to push innovation forward. Our mission is to help people of all ages enjoy wonderful, fresh and nutritious coffees from small artisan roasters. It’s about working hard and being kind to the people, and helping those in need. We’re a boutique coffee roaster, offering a fresh, home-roasted coffee experience to the Perth market.
Of course, this content lacks thoughtful composition, but remember: it was free, and took all of four seconds to populate. The technology is only going to get better. If companies can find a way not to need writers, they’ll take it.
But hey, you have the right to pursue happiness and follow your dreams, not feel happy or accomplish them. Art schools never promise anything either, but it’s still a little insidious to my mind. The programs function under the fact that every individual student thinks that they will be the exception to increasingly impossible odds.
So what’s the point here? I don’t think this needs to be a sad story. Couldn’t it, in a way, be liberating? The lack of viable options in industry art means that the whole apparatus of “breaking in” is no longer relevant. Sure, you won’t make any money from your art, but you probably weren’t going to anyway. You need not collect qualifications, fit inside generic boxes, maintain a social media presence, or do anything to make yourself more desirable to an industry. An artist doesn’t need to see themself as a future professional who must work extremely hard to deserve their place. Instead, the artist is autonomous, and the art is about something else. If industry work comes to them, then it’s just one of many possibilities, and probably not even the best one.
But there’s still a big problem remaining: money. How is anyone going to make any money doing anything? I’m stuck on this question. It’s much bigger than an individual artistic practice. For now, I’m glad that my writing doesn’t need to be an answer to it.
What did I learn about essay-writing?
At first, I tried to rush through this. I was so worked up. It’s the same habit: I see something interesting, try to impose an idea around it, and get carried away. My first argument was a prediction that all meaningful art will necessarily become indie, and that this shift is a good thing. Obscurity itself is a good thing. Perhaps this is still worth talking about somehow, but the argument felt shoehorned and didactic.
Instead, I want to treat interesting things as questions. In my second attempt, I started with the question Why does this interest me? I tried to go slow. I also let the draft sit for almost two weeks before I started again in earnest.
I still can’t help being really opinionated about this, but I’m happier with the result. This short discussion feels more like an entry point than a take-down (I hope?).