Examples of AI creation and its application to Murakami Takashi’s works: Can AI become an artist’s “partner”?
Introduction
In recent years, the emergence of illustration AI has sparked mixed reactions among artists. While there are concerns that AI will “take away jobs from people” and “devalue art,” some artists are beginning to use AI in their creative endeavors. One artist who is particularly noteworthy is Takashi Murakami, a world-renowned artist. He is actively incorporating AI into his creative endeavors, challenging himself to create new forms of expression.
So, is AI a threat that will take away artists’ jobs? Or could it become a new partner that expands creativity? Let’s think about the future of “AI and art” through Takashi Murakami’s use of AI.
The Shaky Definition of Art: Pros and Cons of AI Illustration
While the elaborate images generated by illustration AI have become a hot topic online, many illustrators have questioned, “If anyone can easily draw beautiful pictures, what will become of the value of the skill and effort required to draw?” It could be said that AI has invaded the sacred realm of human “creativity.”
What’s important is what message you want to convey through your work and what emotions you want to evoke. AI has the potential to infinitely expand the means of expression for this purpose.
AI is your partner in visualization: turning your ideas into reality
Murakami’s motivation for using AI was to generate a huge number of variations and make his ideas more concrete.
For Murakami, AI is a powerful partner in “giving shape to ideas.” In the video showing the production of “The Four Gods,” Murakami drew a rough sketch and then ran it through AI to generate various variations of the “scales.” The diverse compositions and colors created by AI stimulate Murakami’s imagination and spark new ideas.
What is particularly interesting is that Murakami uses both open source AI and closed AI specialized for himself. After generating a wide range of variations with open source AI, he uses closed AI to reflect his own style and pursue originality.
The path to coexistence: Division of roles between AI and humans
AI can perform complex tasks with speed and accuracy that humans cannot. For example, in the “Four Gods” painting shown in the video, Murakami used AI to create the detailed patterns such as scales with the assistance of AI. This would have taken a huge amount of time and effort with traditional craftsmanship.
However, AI is merely a “tool.” AI does not have “emotions” or “will,” and only humans can express these in their work. Murakami also said, “The concept itself determines the artist’s ability.”
It is important for artists in the AI era to use AI as a “tool” to create works that utilize human sensibility and creativity. Murakami has established a system in which he creates works with his assistants, and by effectively using AI, he has created an environment in which he can focus more on the “concept.”
Conclusion
Takashi Murakami’s use of AI is a good example of the possibility of “coexistence” between AI and humans. AI can be a tool to expand the creativity of artists, and the “co-creation” of humans and AI can lead to the birth of new artistic expressions that have never been seen before.
Concerns and discussions about AI are endless, but the evolution of AI technology will not stop. What is important is to calmly look at the evolution of AI technology, understand its advantages and disadvantages, and think about how to utilize it.
In the future, 100 years from now, works exhibited in museums may be created by AI. How will we perceive the relationship between “AI and art” at that time? Takashi Murakami’s challenge allows us to imagine such a future.
