Artist statement on AI and Art. and Life in the age of AI.
We stand at the bottom of a new era, a digital dawn where the lines between the organic and the synthetic, the real and the simulated, blur into a psychedelic tapestry. Artificial Intelligence (AI), once a distant dream, has materialized as a potent force, reshaping the very essence of human life and the nature of our existence shapeshifting every field where it is deployed. We must become aware of the matter to avoid the dream becoming a collective hallucination.
Art is one of the fields interested in the advent of AI. Traditionally viewed as the exclusive domain of the human spirit, the creative act is undergoing a profound metamorphosis. AI, with its uncanny ability to learn, adapt, and generate, challenges the traditional notion of authorship. Let's imagine it this way. AI is no longer merely a tool at the artist's disposal, but a collaborator, a co-creator. This symbiotic relationship raises profound questions about the nature of creativity itself: Is it a uniquely human trait, or can it be replicated, passed on or even surpassed, by artificial intelligence?
Of course, in the realm of art, AI is not just a technological marvel; it is a catalyst for a new aesthetic paradigm, it's food for thought in reimaging the very concept of art, also of life. It opens up uncharted territories of enhanced expression, where the line between the original and the derivative, the authentic and the simulated, becomes increasingly blurred, and critical. We find ourselves in a world of hyperreality, where the image precedes the real, and the simulation becomes more real than reality itself. The impact on our daily life is impressive. We are facing the ordinary from a different, often confusing, perspective, and we need to train our eyes to see and understand what is happening before everything becomes unrecognisable and foreign, indistinguishable and deceiving. The new way of seeing never felt this altered and influenced.
The birth of an idea, once a solitary act of inspiration, is now a collective endeavour, a fusion of human imagination and computational power. The digital womb, nurtured by vast datasets and complex algorithms, gives birth to new forms of expression, new narratives, and new realities. We are challenged to imagine and envision a new human, to the very meaning and essence of life and death. It could be a crucial step in the history of humankind.
Molded and based on its human model, AI has firestarted an era that is not without its failures and its moments of instability. The sphere of AI is very imperfect and imperfections offer a unique perspective on the nature of AI. Through the imperfections, we must observe its potential and its limitations. The glitches in the AI system must be the opportunity to understand and reveal the underlying (conduct) code, the raw data, and the fragile and conflictual nature of this new technology. [Glitch] artists must provide a powerful lens through which to view AI. Exploring AI and its manifestations to offer critical perspectives on the power and dangers of AI. Artists must think AI beyond its industry standards. Highlighting the tension between control and chaos, between order and disorder, that lies at the heart of this (r)evolution to avoid an irreversible regression.
DNAi is a visual metaphor for this new era, a digital tapestry woven from threads of code and consciousness, natural and synthetic, birth and death, new cycles, new visions, new meanings, and new life. A tableau of human figures, avatars of a new reality. A radiant orb is the symbol of divine creation. Aniconic forms shift and morph, resembling the duality, the fluid and ever-changing nature of the digital realm. At the centre of this tableau, a child emerges, a symbol of the future, a harbinger of a new age. This child, born of both humans and machines, represents the hybrid nature of our evolving [artistic] identity. This a possible testament to the disturbing power of AI to mimic humans and the importance of keeping in mind that the cycle of life and death interests technologies too. Creatively transcend it, to give birth to something truly new and unexpected without losing the feeling for the importance of being human.
As we venture deeper into this raving new world, we must be brave and confront the ethical implications of AI and its impact on our lives to ensure that AI is used for the betterment of humanity, rather than for exploitation and manipulation. Find the right questions and right answers that will be essential to navigating the complex landscape of an AI-powered life. We must approach this new era with a sense of wonder and a spirit of inquiry, embracing the potential of AI while remaining mindful of its limitations.
The digital genesis is underway, and the future of humanity hangs in the balance. Let us embrace this new reality, not with fear, but with a sense of awe and anticipation. Let us embrace with awareness the fusion of the human and the machine, the real and the simulated, and let us create a meaningful future.
