Could the next Picasso be a robot? AI-generated art has been around for some years, but most of the generated work was rudimentary and not worthy of the public's adoration. Now? Artificial intelligence is crafting beautiful images on the fly and interest in such art has exploded, with some artworks winning awards and causing concern among human artists.
Currently, much of the art generated by artificial intelligence still relies on images and artwork initially created by humans. You might head to an AI-generating tool and type in some keywords. The AI program will analyze data from other already-created images images and then create artwork based on that data set. From there, many programs allow humans to step in and use a variety of tools to modify and remix the art.
Given the increasingly blurred line between human and machine, perhaps 'cyborg art' is a more apt descriptor. In 2021, Jason M. Allen won an art award at the Colorado State Fair with his surreal work "Theatre D'opera Spatial," wowing audiences and drawing the ire of other artists. Allen noted that he broke no rules, though many felt he took unfair shortcuts.
The concept of artificial intelligence platforms developing full sentience has been a mainstay in science fiction for many years. Often, those intelligences go on to destroy the world or conquer humanity. Who knows — if AI ever does gain full sentience, maybe it'll pick up a paintbrush instead.