Artificial Intelligence and Art

Artificial Intelligence and crossing the frontier of knowledge

Most people who hear the term Artificial Intelligence (AI) immediately remember several films, series and books – there is no shortage of works on the subject. The plot usually talks about super intelligent robots and their interactions with humans. Throughout the narrative, they end up developing feelings, sometimes good and sometimes not so much.

When we talk about artificial intelligence with someone from the technology area, the thoughts are less fanciful. For these professionals, AI relates to machines capable of functioning independently of human beings.

What we don't naturally associate with artificial intelligence is art, in its various expressions. Have you ever stopped to think about this? You may be surprised, but the ability of a machine to produce a work of art is much closer to our reality than what we see in any of the fictions in the movies, on the internet or in books.

The junction between art and artificial intelligence is a certainty these days. We have from AIs used as tools by artists to those that create works with virtually no human interference. The examples are many and in very diverse areas of the art world, such as music, cinema and visual arts. Next, we will present some works and artists to illustrate this panorama.

A music album was made entirely with the help of an artificial intelligence program. Singer Taryn Southern doesn't know how to play any instruments, so she used a program called Amper to help her create the songs. She feels that the compositions are hers, as she uses the program as a tool. The program collaborates so that people who do not have music skills can also express themselves through it.

Google also provided a way for people to create music with the help of machines, through the Magenta project. Within this project, there is the Lo-Fi Player, where you can access an AI-powered music studio and create and edit your own material. The idea is similar to that of Amper, making even people without prior knowledge able to use the resources.

We have the Brazilian plastic artist Katia Wille. In early 2020, part of her works were exhibited at the Museum of Sacred Art in São Paulo, in the show ToTa Machina, which means “Machine Woman”, which combined artificial intelligence with the artist’s works. From AI, it was possible to provide different experiences for each visitor. Through the machines, the works were able to react not only to the human presence, but also to their emotions. That is, the works changed as they saw and identified the feelings of the visitors!

These are just a few examples. The reality is that there are far more interactions between artists and machines out there. Humanity's technological advances usually go hand in hand with developments in the area of art, and that is what we are witnessing at this moment in history. In this discussion, questions arise that usually keep us up at night. Is art made by machines still art? Will the artist be replaced? When an artwork created by an AI is sold, who gets the money? Who is the artist? What is the value of your work and your performance in our society? In the future, will it still be possible to differentiate art made by humans from that made by machines?