If you're using Generative AI, here's why it's hurting you as an artist // Watch the full video 👉 https://lnkd.in/eptD8aAD Like most of us, I've been thinking a lot about Generative AI. If you listen to the hype... The entire world is changing without you and you're going to be left behind! But the problem is AI doesn't seem to be enabling creativity. It seems to be REPLACING creativity. I get it... It's easier to pull a slot machine than stare at a blank page. But I think a lot of people will spend the next 5-10 years gambling on technology that's replacing their art... And at the end of it they won't have improved their craft. Personally, I got into VFX and filmmaking because I love the process, the problem-solving, the collaboration, that feeling of improving with each project, and finding the best ideas to make something new. Replacing that with a prompt just sucks all the life out of it. So if AI can help you make your art, go for it. But don't stop doing what you love for the fear of getting left behind. At least that's my opinion, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Watch the full video for more hot takes 👉 https://lnkd.in/eptD8aAD

There’s something called the creative process. Generative AI doesn’t have it. It develops a single idea directly, automatically discarding hundreds of possible paths. Choosing —what seems like a simple act— is what defines an artist. It’s not just about technique, it’s about decisions. About all the paths that are not taken in order to tell the one story that finally appears in the work. Generative AI for video or image offers no real control between the prompt and the final execution. That’s why companies like Google —the owner of tools like Veo 3— still spend thousands of dollars hiring studios that pay me well to create their storyboards. A director who tries to skip that fundamental step is showing the same level of ignorance as someone who thinks you can shoot without a cinematographer or a production designer. Clearly, those who believe the future lies entirely in AI platforms have never worked on a real, important production — with real people, on a real set.

I largely agree, but I would frame it a little differently: I would put a hard line between idea and execution, and another hard line between idea and direction. And while there are many hybrid workflows with some degree of direct visual control (inpaint, image-to-image, style ref etc), pure prompting does not amount to creation at all, even when iterated. This is the same principal line held by the USCO in their deliberations on copyright. Prompting is commissioning, not creation. Clientship, not authorship. As your contribution to the end result relative to the contribution from the underlying work is minuscule in the case of direction (some idea about expression), non existant in the case of ideas (only things like subject and motif), and only ever indirect (you work in the medium of text but get results created in the separate medium of images (or text, music, etc)). See https://open.substack.com/pub/johancb/p/top-ten-lies-about-ai-art-debunked?r=8bii5&utm_medium=ios There is also the aspect that the expression you did not create was not paid for, which makes the use amount to outsourced piracy. See https://open.substack.com/pub/johancb/p/the-two-big-lies-behind-the-heist?r=8bii5&utm_medium=ios

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As a one man band, I love the idea of AI tools doing the lion's share of the tedious and laborious parts of a pipeline, (roto springs to mind) freeing up more of my time to focus on crafting the bare aesthetic. But to hand over that part, too; the part that's meant to make your soul sing when you crack it, what's the point in that?

You're spot on: the danger is when we replace the craft with the tool. But used mindfully, AI becomes the ultimate creative assistant - sharpening our voice, expanding our range, and freeing us to focus on the parts of the process we love most.

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Amazing words and you are totally right! At this point in time we have to make the decision how to move forward with AI. Should we just give up and hand artistry over or should we create more art than ever to prove what real human creativity and passion is worth. Very inspiring!!

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Absolutely!!!! I agree 100%. AI should be used as a support tool not as a replacement. Also the AI slop it's easy to spot, too perfect, sterile and completely soulless, it transmits nothing through the screen, as opposed to real artistry, which it has a real impact on people watching.

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Josh Toonen, you are my inspiration! Your thoughts on AI really resonate with me. It’s about the love for the craft. Keep creating! Your passion shines through! 🌟 Looking forward to more of your insights!

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Yes! Craft is all about choices. The more we lean into that, the more distinct (and human) our work stays. Thanks for sharing, Josh.

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