The more I watch what’s happening and see the parallels to things that have happened in the past, the more it looks to me like the tumultuous, negative aspects of AI being introduced into the world of art and writing were unavoidable, because it’s about people fearing change.
There are real ethical issues with AI that are important and need to be handled carefully. But those aren’t the issues that artists and writers have been screaming about. And when possible solutions to the problems being screamed about are suggested, they move the goal posts.
So, yeah, the reaction from the art and writing worlds this last year have been really ugly, but I think that’s just because people can be really ugly, not actually because of the fact that AI can make pretty pictures and hold coherent conversations.
I’ve spent enough time writing about the absolute sheer body horror of when a caterpillar’s face splits open, revealing the smooth crystalline surface of the chrysalis beneath that I shouldn’t be surprised when the beautiful transformations happening with AI are also painful.