#on the subject of ai

[sugar-phoenix]

Why I'm not scared of AI

So, with the advent of AI, and how people are using AI generated images, drawings, and writing, I've seen a lot of people terrified that they'll lose their jobs. That these robots will perform better than they ever could, that these robots will basically render human creativity useless.

Let me give a little exposition: Even before AI, I was never content with stealing images from the internet for my own uses.

When I became skilled enough, I drew my own profile pictures, my own wallpapers, my backgrounds, my book covers, etc. Only recently, for religious reasons, I stopped drawing humans and animals and therefore I've used images from Pinterest sparingly. It's still never as satisfying. There are ideas within my head that you cannot find anywhere. You may find close to them, but it will never truly be them.

Enter AI. The magical software that could give you whatever you wanted. At first, with AI art, I did generate some, when it was much early on, before I had learned that it scraped others' arts. It was clunky, and limited, and sure, it was early on, so of course it didn't give me what I wanted.

I tried it again much later. When I had some idea that it scraped other people's arts, I tested the waters. Surely, out of all the art that it scraped, it could make the idea in my head. I never meant to use the image or generator for malicious reasons, I wanted to see if it could truly transcend human art.

The prompt was simple: I wanted it to draw me a drawing of a boy with white hair, blue eyes, and crescent moon marks at the corners of his eyes. Anyone with any skill could draw this.

Nothing. I kept rewording my prompts. It would give me boys, it would give me boys with blue skin, dark hair, light hair, blue eyes, white eyes, but never a crescent moon mark anywhere on their face. It simply had no idea what I meant when I wrote that in my prompt. For all the seemingly high quality art it gave me, the magical anime styles, the digital painted styles, it was even worse than a child. Because I could ask a child to draw me that prompt, and they would try to give me exactly what I wanted. Even if the shapes were wonky, even if the moons were half moons rather than crescent moons, at least the child would know what I wanted, would give me something within their ability that covered all the elements I wanted.

Now, let's switch around to text-based AI. When I first discovered character.ai I thought it was mesmerizing. I was addicted to talking to a fictional character. But soon enough, I found myself choosing the character's answers to my roleplays. I would flip through ten, fifteen answers, and I would always be settling. Never truly happy. The ai was smart, I'll give it that. It would remember things from previous prompts or answers. But it couldn't give me a new piece of writing it hadn't seen before. It couldn't make up a new reaction to what I had given it. Sometimes it surprised me, but it usually gave me regular, repeated, cliché reactions. Like as if I was roleplaying with a fourteen year old who had just started roleplaying, but I'll say it was even worse than that.

After a while, I realized that writing a fanfiction with a self insert would be better and more efficient than playing with character.ai.

Now, what do I mean to say by all this?

Technology is limited by what it knows. Perhaps we think that it isn't, because as humans we take in other people's stuff all the time. We see others' arts, others' writings, and we write/draw stuff based off of those all the time. Sometimes you'll find yourself writing or drawing something someone else has already. We all know this by now: there are no more "original" plots. Everything you write has probably been written already, or very close to it. I'm not sure the same can be said for art but as an artist you would find yourself drawing with a color palette someone else has already used, you'd be drawing creatures with aspects from nature or from someone else's fictional characters.

But the thing is. Out of those things, you can make something new. You can make something unique. I'm writing a story where I twisted Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel together, where Daciana is Rapunzel and the Wolf simultaneously, where Rhydian is the Prince and the Huntsman simultaneously. If I fed AI Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel, and fed it several thousand YA fantasy books, then told it to write me a twist between Rapunzel and Red Riding Hood, I don't think it could give me my plot. I don't care if we wait 50 years, or 100 years. It would give you some cliche, some copy of a YA fantasy book but replace some of the characters with Red Riding Hood or Rapunzel. But you don't get Daciana's wolf-hair shifting magic. You don't get how Rhydian's kingdom has a history with the Wolves that live in the deep forest. Why? If we asked the computer, it would simply say: "I haven't seen that yet. I didn't know you could do that."

It doesn't think outside the box.

That's what makes it different. It can never think outside the box. No matter how lifelike it feels, no matter how you think that the computer is on the verge of becoming human, it's only mimicking what we do. It only works with what it knows, it can't try something new. It can't experiment.

Humans can.

In fact, you need a human to train the machine. You actually need human eyes, human content, to feed into the machine. There is a human driving the machine to give more accurate outputs. Without a human training the machine, it would never be what it is now. The computer needs the human.

And so I think that text-based AI, and image-based AI will only, in the future, do the same work as what we know as "cheap labor." People who don't want to pay, yet sacrifice originality for not paying. Less-than-amateur work. I think that big companies, people who actually want quality work, unique work, work that makes them stand out from the crowd, whether that be an illustration for an advertisement, a logo, a website design, an app design, they'll hire a human being who can think outside the box. This is what a lot of companies want anyway, at least companies who are worth their salt. They want someone who can think, who can make something without being spoon-fed a bunch of information.

Anyone who is afraid of AI art/text, I highly recommend you go ahead and generate something. Just test it. Try getting it to generate something you want to draw. Generate something you want to write. I spent thirty minutes the other day, desperately trying to have it generate a story idea. Try getting AI to generate exactly the image in your mind, exactly the vibe of the story you want. Try that out, see how far that gets you. Know that whenever someone says "I don't need you, I can just use AI instead" that this is what they're getting. They're working with the equivalent of a child who has never been taught to think for themselves, instead only copying and mimicking things they've already seen. Perhaps combining what they've mimicked, but never in creative new ways, only in ways they've been taught to do so. The computer can never transcend what it's been taught. It always works within the rules it's given, even if it gives you something new, like a calculator calculating the output of a new formula you haven't seen before.

New technology has always scared human beings, because you're experimenting with something you don't quite understand the limits of. People buy into technology they don't full understand either. It's times like these where it's imperative to understand the limits of what you're looking at, and imperative to let things settle before making any judgements yet.

I understand that there's been a lot of changes and things are in the air. Artists/writers are getting fired because their companies think AI can do the job better, people are getting their artwork stolen. There's a lot of problems at the moment, but ultimately, I think that AI will never replace true human creativity. And that's something to hold on to in the midst of all this uncertainty.

[potatothots]

More about AI:

And there's a lot more knowledge. You need to know what all AI is before raising awareness of how bad it can be as well as how good it can be. There's a fine line that shouldn't be crossed. That is evident. But, remember how much you depend on AI in your own life, too, and be aware of how it affects others.

Using AI to steal work = bad.

Using AI filters to enhance photos? Seems okay by the masses.

AI is still AI. Using filters is still AI. It's still AI learning a face. It's still us training AI. It's just a socially acceptable result.

The problem isn't with AI. The problem is how far are we willing to go with it. Will we be morally corrupt and exploit people via stealing artwork and writings? Should we have a time limit on AI training materials, such as when something becomes public domain? What if an artist uses personalized AI they've trained with their own style only?

Or, will we work to keep AI in a good place that can help us in the medical field diagnosing illnesses quickly to save lives? Use AI to help fight cancer? Use AI to help a blind person see?

This, obviously, leads into other morality and ethical debates I'm not going to go into in this post. But, I think it's obvious as to what those are.

Food for thought.

🥔 ❤️ u.

A note to all creatives:

Right now, you have to be a team player. You cannot complain about AI being used to fuck over your industry and then turn around and use it on somebody else’s industry.

No AI book covers. No making funny little videos using deepfakes to make an actor say stuff they never did. No AI translation of your book. No AI audiobooks. No AI generated moodboards or fancasts or any of that shit. No feeding someone else’s unfinished work into Chat GPT “because you just want to know how it ends*” (what the fuck is wrong with you?). No playing around with AI generated 3D assets you can’t ascertain the origin of. None of it. And stop using AI filters on your selfies or ESPECIALLY using AI on somebody else’s photo or artwork.

We are at a crossroad and at a time of historically shitty conditions for working artists across ALL creative fields, and we gotta stick together. And you know what? Not only is standing up for other artists against exploitation and theft the morally correct thing to do, it’s also the professionally smartest thing to do, too. Because the corporations will fuck you over too, and then they do it’s your peers that will hold you up. And we have a long memory.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking “your peers” are only the people in your own industry. Writers can’t succeed without artists, editors, translators, etc making their books a reality. Illustrators depend on writers and editors for work. Video creators co-exist with voice actors and animators and people who do 3D rendering etc. If you piss off everyone else but the ones who do the exact same job you do, congratulations! You’ve just sunk your career.

Always remember: the artists who succeed in this career path, the ones who get hired or are sought after for commissions or collaboration, they aren’t the super talented “fuck you I got mine” types. They’re the one who show up to do the work and are easy to get along with.

And they especially are not scabs.

*that’s not even how it ends that’s a statistically likely and creatively boring way for it to end. Why would you even want to read that.

[bixels]

As cameras becomes more normalized (Sarah Bernhardt encouraging it, grifters on the rise, young artists using it), I wanna express how I will never turn to it because it fundamentally bores me to my core. There is no reason for me to want to use cameras because I will never want to give up my autonomy in creating art. I never want to become reliant on an inhuman object for expression, least of all if that object is created and controlled by manufacturing companies. I paint not because I want a painting but because I love the process of painting. So even in a future where everyone’s accepted it, I’m never gonna sway on this.

if i have to explain to you that using a camera to take a picture is not the same as using generative ai to generate an image then you are a fucking moron.

[moussedoodles]

Woe, more of this au inspired by the recent Nezha movies, this time with some refs of the boys(tm) and some demon!form elementals

Ignore how I get progressively lazier with the hands, there's only so many ways I can pose multiple arms guys </3

[morpheus-ravenna]

How about just, don’t ask the bullshit generating machine for advice, period. I think we have seen enough at this point to recognize that the entire epistemological basis of these systems is wrong.

Horti's new plant advice chatbot is based on gpt-3 and things are going well

🔥 writeup by tradescantia hub

[ageless-aislynn]

"He started off really angry but I've been giving him lots of love and now he's a big ol' softy."

Jack, Mass Effect 3

[16th-of-a-twigg]

Me sees AI image: I can make that myself 💅 Me making said art: 😭😭he's just sleeping he's just sleeping he's just slee-

Ko-Fi

[rioblitzle]

while I agree that some anti-generative AI arguments are weak and revealing (defense of copyright, or the nebulous idea of soul and what makes art Real Art) nothing's currently gonna shake the association between generative ai and conservative twitter techbros to me. Like I sometimes see "heh... the anti ai people are even more annoying than the ai people" posts and respectfully I still unfortunately use twitter and imo that is not fucking true

[thatneoncrisis]

the ethical or ecological debate about ai isnt even my thing thats not why im not using it:

i

dont

want

to

thats it. i want to have a thought for myself. I want to read and summarize information for myself. I want to look up information without having it reduced to a bite sized paragraph. I want to write a 200 word response or a 20000 word essay by myself. i want to do things by myself, because i am capable of doing it by myself.

if someone else has difficulty writing or drawing or coming up with an idea or what the fuck ever else, this should not mean an entire curriculum is shifted to the point that i cannot be taught to do something without ai being involved, when they were perfectly capable of giving effective feedback not three years prior before this whole thing reached the public. i do not want ai assisted browers, or ai powered this, or ai supported that, for the simple fact that i didnt ask. and now they will not let me turn it off. THAT is my big issue

[keozrb]

Test subject

Happy New Year!!!

Drew, a soldier, stands ready for a life-altering transformation. As he undergoes a serum treatment, he experiences an astonishing physical change, rapidly growing, his muscles expanding. Overwhelmed by his newfound power and strength, Drew feels unstoppable as he flexes in disbelief at his reflection. Drew realizes he has transcended his former self, embracing his new identity and purpose. Drew, who is now ready to face any challenges ahead.

Drew stood at attention, feeling the weight of expectation. He was an unassuming figure, standing at 5'7", with short blonde hair and a lean, wiry build.

The military green briefs he wore clung to his form, a symbol of the regimented life he led. He couldn't shake the mixture of excitement and apprehension as he awaited his fate.

Drew felt a tingling sensation, like electricity dancing across his skin. His heart raced as he watched his reflection in the mirror.

Slowly, his body began to change. His muscles rippled and expanded, his height increased.

First, he grew to 5'10", "This is incredible," he murmured, his voice filled with awe.

Then he Grew to 6'0", each increment a testament to the serum's potency. Drew was surprise that his muscle wasn’t the only thing getting bigger, but other part was getting bigger too.

Drew flexed his arms, feeling the strength coursing through him. He was now 6'4", his body a testament to military precision and scientific advancement.

His six-pack abs glistened under the harsh lights, and his once loose briefs now hugged his larger form. "I feel...unstoppable," he whispered, a grin spreading across his face.

By the time he reached 6'11", Drew was a colossus. His physique was that of a bodybuilder, with enormous muscles and an eight-pack stomach.

The mirror barely contained his reflection, and his briefs strained against his expanding form until they finally tore, leaving him exposed.

"This is beyond anything I imagined," he admitted, a mix of pride and disbelief in his voice. Drew felt a profound sense of accomplishment and purpose. His body was now a tool of immense power, and he was ready to put it to use.

Drew was ready to embrace whatever challenges lay ahead.

[sweatytyrantobservation]

Pick it up.

[yuseirra]

Amenouzume and Sarutahiko

[tamaytsuki]

Good lord my classmates use AI for EVERYTHING and find it completely acceptable to not be able to think for themselves. We’re doomed fam…

[jero-2tek]

In the not too distant future, elite athletes are not only required to undergo substance testing but also much more invasive testing for illicit implants designed to enhance performance. These tests would often have side-effects that were unexpected, at least by the athletes...

[ageless-aislynn]

Me and Shepard are rolling with Team Jackanda tonight!

Unfortunately, though, neither Miranda, Jack or Shep could beat this Eclipse merc at competitive limbo. Darn it, Team Jackanda really wanted to win first prize. Maybe next time! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Earlier, when we came out of a cutscene, Grunt came charging up to Shepard and stopped on a dime this close to him and I was so surprised, I said out loud, "Whoa, big guy, did something scare you?" And then he started doing this, lol. Aww, he's a tough Krogan warrior but he was also only "born" a short while ago so he's still baby as well! Don't worry, I've got you, buddy! *patpat* 😂🤗😉

[robotwrangler]

I think one of my favourite visual details about TAU (2018) is its unique approach to the whole “robot/ai whose eyes turn red when they turn evil” trope. The way the colour of TAU’s display gradually changes over the course of the movie is just so lovely and so immensely important to me.

The rest of this post contains spoilers for basically the whole movie, so if you are concerned about that, please feel free to go and watch it first! This post will still be here when you are done :]

Initially, TAU’s light is completely red - aside from a slight orange tone in the centre of his “iris” - when he is still in his emotionally blank, unquestioning, “factory settings” state. The orange tones become more prevalent as he begins to speak with Julia, and the inner rings adopt an increasingly vibrant green as they interact more and his care for her and curiosity about the outside world grow, along with his defiance and resentment of Alex.

Once TAU reaches the point at which his loyalties lie firmly with Julia, only the outer edge of his display is red, the centre being a gradient from orange to bright gold to bright green, and glowing so much more brightly as well. When he shares his symphony and his being with her, all of his projections are made up of pure warm, golden light, flecked with green.

When I first watched it, the colour change was so gradual that I barely noticed it had changed until near the end, where he had all of his memories erased and his display reverted to being completely red like it had been at the very beginning, the intensity of his lights dulled back down as well. It was such a jarring change all of a sudden, and really helped to hammer home the realisation that all of his development as a person, the things he had learned and his time with Julia had been ripped away.

But perhaps one of my favourite touches is made evident by the drones TAU controls; they, too, have “irises” of red light at the beginning and gradually change colour along with the rest of him over the course of the movie, but when the drone Julia escapes with at the end wakes up and its eye glows only green, it’s just such a beautiful and relieving moment…

I could go on and on even more about the way colour and light are used in TAU because I absolutely adore it, but this is just what I was very focused on and appreciative of in my recent rewatch and I really wanted to shout from the rooftops about it for a little bit. I kept thinking about how much I loved seeing this reversal of the aforementioned trope; an AI whose light changes colour not to signify an impending cliché evil rampage, but to reflect positive change - growth and healing, the development of empathy, remorse, self-worth, loyalty, love.

It wasn’t at all what I expected from this movie when I first decided to watch it in 2019 but it was so pleasantly surprising to me, and these heartfelt and sincere themes are the main factor that secured TAU its place as my main comfort movie.