Artists are harnessing the power of AI in their creations, resulting in a blend of fear and exhilaration.

• Artists and gallerists have expressed mixed reactions to the use of generative AI in creating images from written prompts, as reported by CNBC.
• While some are concerned about the impact of generative AI on intellectual property and creativity, others are welcoming its potential.
• Can I check if my work and images have been utilized to train some of the large language models that power generative AI?

The art industry is facing challenges in determining the most effective way to incorporate generative AI into its operations.

The use of image generators like Midjourney and DALL-E 3 has resulted in a magazine cover, an art prize, and the Pope wearing a white puffer jacket.

Some artists expressed concerns about copyright and the technology's potential as a threat, while others described it as scary. However, they also expressed excitement about the possibilities that generative AI could bring.

Rubem Robierb, an installation artist, was "surprised" when he first witnessed the capabilities of generative AI, as he shared with CNBC via phone. "At its early stage, [generative] AI can produce more images in a second than the human brain can handle. While this may not necessarily be positive, we are all part of this experiment," he stated in a subsequent email.

Dandara, a sculpture by Robierb, was displayed in New York City in honor of Dandara dos Santos, a transgender woman who was murdered in Fortaleza, Brazil. Additionally, Robierb created "Dream Machine," a pair of butterfly wings for Celebrity Cruises' Edge, its billion-dollar cruise ship.

The artist, based in New York and Miami, has not yet utilized AI in his work, but he described it as "not a matter of choice." He is currently considering how and when to incorporate it into his art.

Generative AI, which currently sources from known images, artwork, and artists to complete tasks, can be viewed as a threat to creativity. Legal boundaries must be established to safeguard intellectual property, as stated by Robierb.

The European Commission's AI Act aims to regulate the technology based on its perceived risk to citizens' rights or safety and is expected to take effect in approximately two years, as stated in a December press release.

Generative art

The Serpentine gallery in London prioritizes the ethical use of generative AI in its collaborations with artists, as it has been working with artists on AI projects since 2014, as stated by its CEO Bettina Korek.

The Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive exhibition at the gallery showcases large-scale AI-generated artworks, including "Artificial Realities: Coral," which was made using approximately 135 million images of coral found online.

"Refik has created an immersive and sensorial experience that brings AI closer to our human experience. Audiences are encountering art first and technology second, with Anadol focusing on using ethically sourced data to train the AI that produces the images," Korek told CNBC via video call.

Anadol employed a "Large Nature Model" to create content for a work titled "Living Archive: Large Nature Model," which was unveiled at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January, utilizing data from the London Natural History Museum and the Smithsonian Institution among other sources.

The ethical sourcing of data to train AI is a crucial aspect of a larger discussion involving artists, as stated by Korek. The Serpentine's fourth Future Art Ecosystems report, published in March, emphasized the need for public institutions to recognize their role as intermediaries in the impact of AI on society.

In addition to the gallery, other venues, such as 37xDubai in the United Arab Emirates, are also showcasing AI-generated art. The exhibition, Generative: Art & Systems, at the venue features work by artists including Julian Espagnon, who combines design, code, and art, as stated by the gallery's founder and CEO Danilo S. Carlucci.

In an email to CNBC, Carlucci stated that generative art requires creativity and skill, just like human-made art. He pointed out that some of the artists in their exhibition are highly technical and have a strong understanding of code. The works they create take hours of labor, and like traditional art, the story behind their pieces comes with a thoughtful message.

The Serpentine's Arts Technologies team is currently working on several AI projects, including an exhibition that will delve into the "dark corridors of what it means to be an artist in the AI age" by artists and musicians Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst, which will be unveiled in the fall, as stated in a press release.

Spawning, an organization founded by Dryhurst and Herndon, focuses on data governance for AI. One of its products, Have I Been Trained, allows individuals to see if their work and images have been used to train large language models behind generative AI, with the option to prevent future use.

Two generative AI platforms, Stability and Hugging Face, are utilizing the Have I Been Trained registry, while Spawning is actively pursuing partnerships with both OpenAI and Midjourney, as stated by Jordan Meyer, its co-founder and CEO, in an email to CNBC.

AI as an artist's 'tool'

Shane Guffogg, an abstract artist, expressed mixed feelings about AI in a video call with CNBC. He described AI as a "tool" and stated that while it was "scary," it was also "exciting" because it allowed him to "unlock what he was 'sensorially' hearing."

Guffogg, who has synesthesia and associates colors with musical notes, aimed to compose a piano performance based on his artwork.

He sought assistance from software developers to create "Sounds of Color," a component of his upcoming exhibition in Venice, Italy, starting April 20, but discovered that some developers desired to replace the human element with technology.

Guffogg stated that they wanted the output to be entirely AI-generated based solely on their movements, removing the human element. However, Guffogg refused, saying, "No, I'm not going to do that."

Guffogg rejected the idea of creating a hologram of himself that could generate new art after his death.

Guffogg collaborated with AI software programmer Jonah Lynch and pianist Anthony Cardella on "Sounds of Color," and was moved to tears upon hearing one of his paintings being performed. "I could feel all the [musical] inspirations I listened to while I was painting," he stated.

Guffogg has not personally experimented with generative AI programs, but he has seen images created using these tools. He believes that the process of creating art is about the "joy of discovery" and that it should not replace the human experience. He hopes that the novelty of generative AI will eventually wear off and that it will no longer be seen as a brave new world.

Robierb expressed a similar sentiment, stating that an original artwork is truly unique only if it is created by a person. He believes that nothing can replicate the creativity and originality that comes from a human artist. In the future, he envisions walking into an art fair and labeling the artworks that are human-made.