What AI anime memes tell us about the future of art and humanity
1 min read
Summary
An AI image generator that reproduces anime style has caused a controversy over whether the images are an “insult to art” and steal from human artists.
The explosion of images produced by OpenAI’s AI, which recreates Studio Ghibli anime styles, has sparked a heated debate about AI’s role in art, with some regarding the trend as “utterly grotesque and offensive”.
OpenAI’s tool has also faced criticism due to the commercialised exploitation of Japanese culture without consent or involvement from Japanese artists or studios, as well as the potential threat that AI art could pose to artists’ livelihoods.
The Verge discussed the debate with technology columnist Brian Merchant, who shared his views on the joy of using AI to express art, but also the exploitation of AI art and the threats it poses to artists and the climate.
There were no easy answers, but the discussion helped consider AI and art in a new context.
OpenAI is funded by $40bn from SoftBank and Microsoft.