“The Art Of…” 

Star Wars?

Dune?

Super Mario?

Fallout?

Spirited Away.?

After a quick Google search of any of these famous titles, one comes across a remarkable surplus of concept books in which iconic fiction was born.

In fact, some (if not all) of our most beloved fiction franchises came with messy and abstract origins. The early rough pencil sketches of the beloved Totoro to the designs of the infamous Darth Vader have nourished creative communities by reminding artists how some of the greatest works of all time experienced imperfect (and humbling) beginnings. 

As technology evolves, however, the inevitable modification in art follows closely behind. As artists migrate from the humble paper to digital screens, technology is readily available to help.. Apps and software like Procreate, IbisPaint, Krita, Adobe Photoshop, and Clip Studio Paint are just some examples of platforms changing the world of art.

Although digital art painting itself isn't a problem, the evolving AI technology exploiting digital artists is quickly becoming one. Whereas concept art books reminded artists that art takes time, AI is beginning to override this at once fundamental belief. Artists worldwide panic as some of their artworks are quickly shoveled into machines to create an image using a cacophony of pieces from a surplus of different artists. Without any proper consent from the owner, digital machines comb the internet, pocketing and repurposing artwork to satisfy consumers' appetites. Hayao Miyazaki, a renowned Japanese animator and director known for being responsible for a multitude of Ghibli films, also criticizes the practice after discovering that AI art had been plagiarizing his iconic art style. Miyazaki famously describes how AI art is an “insult to life itself” as it underscores ethical practices and the devaluation of art entirely.

So with this, society's new ‘convenience’ epidemic provides us with a new emerging question…

Plagiarizing artwork is nothing short of new. The AI crisis itself is tricky to label as there isn't a lone culprit- rather, an assembly line of dozens of generators attempting to keep up with that quick consumer demand. 

What would it mean for the next generation? Will they be able to continue creating personalized artwork, or will they need the help of an AI assistant?

In response to the new AI threat, Mr. Burgan- an art teacher at Glendora High School for over 30+ years- shares his perspective: “Creativity is a process. People learn those skill sets and learn how to link those skill sets together. That's where the creativity comes from.” Stressing how genuine creativity cannot be cloned or copied, Burgan believes that, “You can’t really fake it… There's no way around it.”

Mr. Burgan's insight raises an important question about the rise of technology and the concerning yet speedy embrace of AI art. As AI grows more sophisticated, how much longer until the skills we’ve practiced for generations suddenly wither? Or will artists learn to evolve using the advanced tools offered by AI to sharpen rather than replace their abilities?

Another GHS teacher shares his perspective on AI art as well. Mr. Ruiz, the architecture teacher at GHS, voices his experiences on creativity. 

“Instead of doing it step by step, lots of the software does it for you. Students are still creative, but there are a lot of things that help them be creative. It’s not its natural way.” After asking Mr.Ruiz whether he preferred (or even liked) this shift at all, Ruiz admitted that, “At first I didn’t like it, but that's how it is now. We have to learn to deal with it, and old school needs to learn to adapt to it.”

So, how should teachers and students acclimate to such a game-changing and powerful innovation? 

Should they learn to adapt to the extreme shift in culture or resist it to continue preserving tradition?

Although the dramatic culture shift can be frightening, AI’s future is inevitably up to how artists choose to respond. A possible path of embracing AI is strictly using it for collaborative methods. Instead of apathetically typing in a prompt into a generator, ethical AI art could be used in ways that help (not steal from) artists while assisting in tasks like brainstorming or refining a technique. Similar to Mr. Ruiz's sentiment, much of AI cannot be thoroughly eradicated, and it's important to know how to adapt to the powerful tools provided to artists and developers.

Perhaps the future of art will simply learn to use AI, not by erasing human involvement, but by redefining it in ways that enhance the learning experience. Just like the rough sketches of a concept book filled with notes and originality, artwork remains a reflection of an artist's process; the unavoidable truth of an artist's personal imprint. In the end, it's not about the outcome, but rather the process that makes it meaningful.