Interesting to see an Op-Ed published by the Wall Street Journal addressing the controversial issue of AI-generated works and creativity.
Brian J. Gross provocatively writes:
“The fear that AI-assisted art is somehow ‘less human’ rests on a false binary—modernity vs. meaning, algorithms vs. imagination. Artists have always been open to using the most advanced tools, because the greatness of the work has never depended on the rustic purity of their instruments. Orson Welles didn’t shun technology in “Citizen Kane”; he pioneered deep-focus cinematography, added ceilings to sets for unprecedented angles, manipulated lighting for psychological texture, and cut time with “lightning mixes” that astonished audiences. His innovation was inseparable from the technical frontier of 1941.”
Gross is sanguine that the ease by which people can generate works with AI won’t displace originality and creativity. Instead, the plethora of AI-generated works will place a premium on human originality and excellence: “AI will create a similar divide. The proliferation of AI-generated content won’t diminish great art; it will sharpen the distinction between abundance and brilliance. When anyone can draft a passable paragraph or storyboard an idea, exceptional talent becomes more apparent than ever.“
Although Gross probably won’t convince the die-hard anti-AI crowd, his essay is well worth a read.
