* What is generative art?

In my words, a generative artwork is an algorithm that creates some space of artistic output. As a generative artist, my role is to write code that controls this space while still producing diverse and interesting works. Learn more on its Wikipedia page.

* Is this AI 'art' (ChatGPT/Midjourney/Sora/StableDiffusion -generated)?

No, it's all hand-coded using p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding.

* What are your thoughts on AI-generated 'art'?

While I am intrigued by the technical capabilities of AI media generation as a computer scientist, I find the current state of AI 'art' to be not only immensely problematic but also artistically uninteresting. There are significant ethical concerns regarding the use of artists' works without consent for training AI models, which raises questions about intellectual property and the devaluation of human creativity. From an artistic perspective, AI-generated 'art' often lacks the depth, intentionality, and emotional resonance that comes from human experience and expression. It can feel derivative and superficial, as it relies on patterns in existing data rather than genuine creativity or insight. I've not been persuaded by arguments from AI 'artists' who liken it to a new technological tool, like how photography challenged painting or digital art challenged traditional. I also find it to be low effort compared to other art forms including generative art; I do not consider tactful AI prompting a skill equal to learning a programming language, how to paint, how to sculpt, how to compose photos, etc. I am open to changing my mind as the technology evolves, but for now, I do not consider AI 'art' to be a meaningful or valuable form of artistic expression.

My passion on this topic arises from the regular conflation I see between generative art and AI 'art' in discourse outside of the generative art community. I understand why this occurs, as both are usually digitally-presenting and have elements of computer-based control. However, I think it's important to distinguish between the two, as they have different artistic processes, ethical implications, and cultural significance. Generative art is a well-established field with decades of rich history and a vibrant community of artists who create diverse and innovative works through code. AI 'art' requires little human input and currently relies on stolen work by human artists. By conflating the two, we risk overlooking the unique contributions of generative artists and the value of their work, while also giving undue attention to AI 'art' that may not have much artistic merit.