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Meet the Artist Embracing AI: A New Era of Creative Freedom Awaits!

BBG News

From a movie lover’s perspective, it’s fascinating to see how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly taking over various sectors of our world, and leaders across industries emphasize that embracing AI is the key to staying relevant. However, when the topic shifts towards AI in art, some creators recoil uneasily, viewing it as a violation of the soul of creativity. This ongoing argument stirs up unrest among artists. The role and impact of AI on the creative process is a complex issue, with its purpose, importance, and influence being interpreted differently based on personal values—making its future trajectory uncertain, and sometimes, intimidating to confront.

Hailing from Miami, Panamanian artist Dahlia Dreszer distinguishes herself as a beacon of optimism and supporter of AI capabilities. She equates the application of AI in artistry to the practice of painting or sketching – just another tool that can tap into one’s creative prowess and artistic vision, which might have remained unexplored without it. Utilizing advanced generative AI models such as Stable Diffusion, 3.5, Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, and Nova, Dreszer spent over a year teaching an AI-driven image generator her unique style. She guided the AI to create works that embodied her artistic sensibilities, with one piece in her current exhibition entirely generated by artificial intelligence.

Bringing Nature Indoors,” Dreszer refers to the exhibit as a “dynamic entity.” (It will be on view until May 17, 2025 at Green Space Miami.) Her vibrant, eclectic still lifes showcase accumulated family keepsakes, Jewish artifacts, flowers, and textiles crafted by Panamanian indigenous women. Visitors have the opportunity to collaborate with an AI image generator within the exhibit, instructing the machine briefly about what they desire it to create, and in a matter of seconds, an artwork is generated. Additionally, as part of the display, Dreszer has developed an AI-generated duplicate of herself, which resembles her visually and vocally, to guide visitors via video call through the venue.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

TIME: Could you share the exact instant when you first recognized that AI could significantly contribute to your artistic endeavors? What was it about AI that captivated you? How did you respond or feel at that moment?

Dreszer’s Thoughts: I’m convinced that technology is designed to boost our capabilities. As soon as generative AI became popular, I was eager to dive in and explore it. At the time, I was involved with NFTs, but this was a new discussion. It took about a year of experimentation and conversations with image-generating tools before I felt confident enough to create a piece suitable for my collection.

In this exhibit, there’s a unique artwork I created in partnership with artificial intelligence. To bring out the essence of the exhibition, I customized an AI image generator using photos that represented my personal interpretation of its theme, mood, and appearance. I incorporated the Florida Everglades as a backdrop, symbolizing the environment where I currently reside. My fascination with AI, art, and nature isn’t limited; I enjoy merging them in conversations. I adorned this piece with real flowers, allowing them to naturally shed petals onto the artwork or ground when they wilt, without any human interference. I believe that nature, art, and technology can harmoniously coexist.

I actually thought that all the pieces in your exhibition were produced by AI.

It seems your intention, indeed, is consistent with this, as the pieces aren’t as they appear initially. I often aim to confound viewers, creating an illusion. Most of these works are not manipulated artificially, but it intrigues me that you perceive them as such.

What inspired you to create a clone for this exhibition? 

As my AI counterpart proves to be quite entertaining, I’m curious about the implications for human relationships when we converse with machines as if they were people, not realizing the difference. What role do humans play when we have AI duplicates capable of mimicking our actions? I’m eager to observe how this conversation develops. There’s also a practical aspect: the AI assistant is likely to guide you more efficiently through the show than I could, as it has been trained on my knowledge but, as a machine, it operates with enhanced efficiency.

Why did you include your clone?

Instead of creating a traditional AI, I aimed at developing an AI-based counterpart of myself to assist viewers, address queries, and help others grasp AI concepts more easily, thereby debunking any myths surrounding it. This clone would serve to make technology more approachable, showcasing the potential of blending technology with creative processes.

Will you keep your clone after the exhibition? Will you educate it about other parts of yourself? 

I’m keen on deepening my bond with her. I’ve been brainstorming strategies for her development. I haven’t revealed it yet, but there are multiple personalities in this clone. I’ll be refining and crafting diverse versions to suit the audience she interacts with.

Some critics would call the use of AI in art “cheating.” What do you say to those critics?

I’m really interested in discussing the background of your viewpoint. I think it would be beneficial if we approach this as a joint exploration. A lot of folks might not grasp the intricacies and effort involved in its development.

Let me encourage everyone to delve deeper into the subject matter, rather than merely viewing it as a simple process where you input a prompt, receive artwork, and consider your task complete. The truth is, this ongoing interaction between technology and art is far more complex. It’s important to remember that similar transformations in the realm of art through technology have occurred previously. However, what we’re witnessing now is particularly intense, fast-paced, and invasive when it comes to the speed and frequency of technological innovation.

What specific challenges have you faced so far using AI in your art?

Frequently, the results I get aren’t exactly what I had envisioned. As an artist, I set high standards for my work and strive to finely tune the appearance, ensuring it’s stylish, carefully selected, and aesthetically pleasing. However, when working with AI, that level of control is lost because AI possesses its own intelligence and artistic flair. Despite this, it can be a challenging yet illuminating experience; it may not produce what you intended, but it might introduce something new and unexpected that you didn’t know you wanted. Furthermore, there are technical aspects it still needs to learn, but with time, it will improve. It struggles with certain types of renderings or visualizations.

What scares and excites you about where AI is headed for the next generation of artists?

I’m primarily thrilled due to the fast-moving nature of things. Upgrades to generative AI software occur approximately every few weeks, and this rapid pace is driven by a competitive marketplace. This competition benefits us as users by fulfilling our needs faster than before. Our input is being taken into account, leading to continuous updates and changes in the tools we use.

You inquired about people’s fears regarding AI integration into our daily routines and various sectors. As AI finds its way into our processes and industries, the question arises: will we embrace it, reject it, or find ourselves lagging behind while others progress? I must admit that my enthusiasm outweighs my apprehension, but I understand why some might be fearful due to potential disruptions in workflow. If we’re not prepared for change or adaptable to new skills, the unknown can seem daunting.

Will collaboration with AI replace collaboration between artists?

Negative, negative, negative. There are numerous instances where myself and various artists have partnered with AI. One artist approached me with her artistic concept and verbalized it, then I employed my prompt engineering abilities and understanding of AI technology, and in collaboration, we generated an AI artwork that embodied her vision – a stunning red fabric tree with an expansive trunk, as she had imagined.

For an artist, the path traveled during creation is unique and even transcendent. Does utilizing AI somehow enable you to tap into this ethereal aspect of the creative journey?

In the creative process, there are aspects that artificial intelligence cannot encompass. For instance, when I’m producing AI art, I’m not engaging in traditional acts like painting or getting my hands messy. Instead, there are physical elements involved in the creative journey that AI doesn’t account for. This is much like any medium; if I were to use a camera instead of a paintbrush, there would be unique experiences and processes that I wouldn’t encounter. Therefore, I view generative AI art as a distinct medium, each with its own exclusive journeys and creative processes.

Do you see the term “post-human” as an accurate way to reflect this era we are entering in art?

Instead of considering AI as “post-human,” I prefer viewing it as an enhancement rather than a replacement. It acts more like a turbocharger or supercharger that humans can carry with us to propel ourselves further. AI could take over mundane tasks we might not wish to perform, allowing our human minds to focus on higher-value tasks and reach our full potential. The collaboration between humans and AI is the key here, as it allows us to delegate repetitive or low-value tasks to AI, thus freeing up our time and cognitive resources for more complex and creative endeavors.

How do you think historians will look back on this particular era of rapid expansion with AI?

How are we adjusting – or failing to – adapt? Time is crucial. The actions we take now, rather than later, could determine the course of the next five to 10 years.

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2025-05-05 21:10

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