Typically, my blog posts are intended for people who work with graphic designers, UI or UX designers and who want to be more aware of how this cooperation should proceed. Today I want to tell you something about AI (artificial inteligence). But I am not an AI specialist to talk about its mechanism, possibilities and forecast its future. I just want to leave you with a few questions to think about what this collaboration with the design community might look like in the near future.

Now everyone can „create” something impressive using Midjourney, for example. Each day I observe plenty of LinkedIn posts with realistic-looking scenes where cats play basketball and a volcano erupts in downtown New York. I don’t want to steal anyone the feeling that they are a creator. It is a nice exercise for imagination to think about an interesting story to depict and then type it in the prompt (prompt is a short statement or question needed for AI to generate the results we are interested in). But is it real Art?

This question is a subject of ongoing debate. The definition of art, given to me by chatGPT, states that it is a form of expression that is created by individuals to convey ideas, emotions, and experiences through various mediums. Art is often used as a means of communicating with an audience, and can evoke different emotions or reactions depending on the perspective of the viewer. Moreover, art is not limited to a specific style or technique. Doesn’t AI fulfill all of the points stated in this definition? If so, maybe it is time to consider images generated by AI as an art. The resulting images can exhibit unique styles and aesthetics, and can be interpreted as a form of creative expression. On the other hand, AI-generated images lack something. AI works on the basis of programmed algorithms. Even if the generated image evokes emotions, but and even if the author of the work is happy with the result and worked intentionally, the question arises – who is the ultimate author of the work? Was the final appearance decided by a human or AI? And the last one – do we, as humans, intend to appreciate the creativity of AI as much as the creativity fully dependent on humans?

I think that whether AI-generated images are considered art or not depends on the individual’s perspective and the criteria we use to define art. Personally, I’m leaning more towards the opinion that AI generated images are, in a way, creative. How is it worse than editing graphics downloaded from stock? But for me AI-generated images are not an Art, capitalized Art. For sure, however, they do represent a new and innovative form of expression that is worth exploring and studying.

And now comes the question from the headline – are AI-generated images the kind of creation you’re willing to pay for? For now we can generate graphics for free, but when will the time come to pay for it?  In the era of AI, will we want to support artists using artificial intelligence or traditional ones? Will you not use the services of illustrators or graphic designers at all, because you will be able to generate graphics ourselves? Will only those designers, who provide low-quality services, fall out of circulation? Will being an artist become more accessible? Will using artificial intelligence be cheap?

As a summary let me just tell you that there are no right or wrong answers here. The future will tell. I hope the above questions will help you to think about the topic. Personally as a designer I don’t feel “threatened”. It is known that times are changing, AI will be more than just a flash in the pan. However, I do not feel that AI will be able to take away „this something” that I value in myself and that I am able to use in various ways. It seems to me that as long as we treat it in each field as just a tool – the world won’t go crazy 🙂

If you want to find out if it is worth investing in AI tools dedicated to UX designers, I invite you to the linked article.