AI vs. ARTIST - Will AI take our jobs? | A look into Midjourney 5 

Hey there Ali, nice to hear from you again :-) Yeah it's been ages! Yeah, I agree that there is more to it than meets the eye, but my platform here is probably not the right place to make a video about that. I mainly wanted it to follow the technical aspects and only briefly touch the whole morality aspects. I think there have been a lot much better researched videos about this already, I put the links in the description they are worth a look. For whatever is happening "behind the curtain" I haven't done much reasearch in that to be honest. It's probably a rabbit hole that goes very deep. I can say from my gut feeling though that yes, the whole new hype about AI and the sheer amount of news, updates, new technologies also feels not very organic to me... :-)

@@JonasNoell The 2 links you have in the description are great, watching them now. BTW I just added a link for your channel in mine. You are making great videos. All the best Jonas and keep in touch.

I get your point but here is were I disagree: Photography is and always was a tool. It requires both technical and artistic skills to learn and there is a learning curve to master it. It can't be be indefinitely replicated in endless variations with no literaly effort. As for AI images you just enter a prompt. There are basically no skills required. In fact even the prompting can be done with no human interaction. AI in a way automizes the entire procress from start to finish. So in this way it's better to compare it with a machine than anything else. As for replacing artists I think at the moment you are probably correct that it offers too little control to modify. However this is already actively been worked on. Not trying to black paint anything but at the moment I think it's difficult to say how it will evolve. But for digital painters/concepts artists this already is threatening as it is right now...

@@JonasNoell I get what you're saying, but Im not sure I agree. First of all, photography is an art, the camera is the tool, so let's not conflate the two. I implore you to search quotes from artists when the camera was made, you'll find almost identical arguments against it. You think its always considered a tool, but it wasn't. Those people don't have the same reference point we do. It took time for it to be universally accepted as a tool by everyone. It's easy to make the claim you're making when you have a completely difference reference point then the people who lived through that change. Making variations with the two is similar to how we use procedural tools in 3D modeling software, or randomizing stuff. The same concept is taken a bit further with AI. There are many different AI programs, some use language as an input, like Midjoruney for instance and your argument works against this type of generative AI. I'll actually agree with you that it requires no technical skill to produce an image, or rather your input is so minimal that Im not even sure you can claim that you've made that piece of art, when all it does is combine previous works of art to produce an amalgamation of random inputs. Its kind of like describing what you want to an artist and someone else does the work. I think this is the point you were trying to make, that your input is almost nonexistent for it to be considered your creation. Correct me if I'm wrong. However, there are many other AI programs that let you have a bit more control, some actually require you to draw some basic lines or sketches first and then use language as input. Or look at the tools NVlabs (from Nvidia) are making, something like Instant Neural Graphics Primitives, that lets you animate from a photo or a series of photos (or even renders). In these types of AI tools, your input is of utmost importance to the final output and I think these are the type of tools we'll be using more in the future rather then something like midjourney that doesn't offer any meaningful control over the image creation process, besides some basic description. Some of these programs let you even export the 3D objects with all maps which you can take in 3D programs or game engines. My point is, AI is still in its infancy, its way too early for artists to be panicking that they'll be replaced, that won't happen ever, but It'd be naive to think that certain skills won't be automated with an AI and become obsolete. The question is, which skills will become obsolete and I don't think anyone knows that for sure. As the saying goes: Adapt or perish and that's why I think people like us need to be openly having discussions like this, however unpleasant they are.

I mainly work in a small teams

This seems overly optimistic to me and doesn't match what happened in the past with disruptive technologies. For example as soon as the automatic loom appeared the weavers quickly found themselves without any work and any income. Once the machines are as efficient and integrated as you describe it then there is no need for any human input anymore. I really hope you are right though 😀

@@JonasNoell Yes, every technological advancement in human history has sacrificed the interests of some people. However, this technological advancement is different from every previous one. It is not just a technological innovation in a particular industry, but a technological leap that affects the life, work, and survival of every person on Earth, with significant impact on the entire biosphere. Although AI is currently considered to be a lifeless entity without emotions or wisdom, what I am saying may be too optimistic and forward-looking. Of course, there is a possibility of being as pessimistic as optimistic, based on probability. Since AI will have a deep impact on every industry, if the group that sacrifices interests represents the vast majority of humanity, AI will be resisted. During the time when forces of promotion and resistance are balanced, AI will gradually infiltrate due to human greed, and humans will ultimately accept AI for the most part. It will just take longer and the process will be more bloody. These scenarios are still good, and it is unimaginable that the current first-generation AI is helping humans solve quantum computing problems. On the contrary, with hardware improvements, AI will become a silicon-based life form that is different from carbon-based life forms and has true wisdom. Hopefully, what I am saying is just a movie script.

@@bronlebron1327 It's not just about the prompts it's also about keeping up with tech.

Yes, I agree with everything you said. This box has been opened and it would be naive to believe it will disappear again. For some its already predictable it will be brutal. Talking about digital painters, concept artists and so on. For others like working in 3d or movie making these technologies will start as tools for specific areas and it remains to be seen how fast they may transition to take over entire areas. So right now the best choice to me seems is to stay aware whats happening and see how you can implement these tools in your workflow.

Depends on your specific job I guess, some will be more heavily affected than others.

It's nothing new, starting from machines in factories to the computers, they all replaced so many jobs including many artists. Simple scripts in 3dsmax (since you're watching this channel) can replace 3d artists. We all appreciate the machines and agree that humanity has advanced, but at what price? How hurtful and damaging was the transition? how may died and suffered around the world? It doesn't matter apparently... When someone reminds us of what happened and that it is our turn now to go through hell, we tend to say yeah but not today... let the next generation deal with it lol. Anyway I'm not sure looting algorithms should be referred to as AI. Yes it is today!

That’s true 😀