Can AI replace humans in creating art?

The beginning of the 4.0 era also marked the emergence of new terminology.computer learningArtificial intelligence (AI) is mentioned almost daily in newspapers, magazines, and other media. AI is present in every field and industry because of its ability to increase labor productivity, automate simple tasks, and especially perform repetitive activities better than humans. However, recently, some signs suggest that the realm of artistic creativity – traditionally considered the sole domain of humans – is being threatened by cold, calculating algorithms. The question is,Will AI be a valuable asset or a threat to artists?

AI becomes an entertainment idol.

Virtual idolsRainbow IdolVirtual celebrities (or similar virtual idols) have recently become a controversial but lucrative industry in many Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China. These are stars created by artificial intelligence technology, with appearances, personalities, and behaviors modeled after humans. Although living in cyberspace, these virtual idols are just as productive as real-life celebrities. These individuals can perform singing, pose for fashion photos, and star in commercials.

Although originating in Japan, the virtual idol industry seems to be thriving in the Chinese market, with a total value of approximately $35 billion and attracting around 390 million viewers (according to Bloomberg). Currently, the number...idolIn China, there are typically 30-40 virtual idols. Their ages are determined by their creators. Furthermore, the fact that they remain at that age is an advantage in an entertainment world that favors newcomers and young people.

As technology advances, virtual idols are becoming more and more human-like in appearance and expression. Some virtual stars even become "sensational" because of their stunning beauty. Elison Lim, an expert at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, once said: "Virtual idols are perfect in appearance, voice, and personality. And this is exactly what many people crave." From a brand's perspective, virtual idols offer perfection in that they can work without rest, appear simultaneously on multiple platforms, and cost less.In particular, virtual idols eliminate the worry of entanglement.scandal, in the context of an increasing number of celebrities having their careers ruined by personal scandals.

Besides, the economic value that virtual idols bring is not... virtual at all. Lil Miquela - one of themidolOne of the world's top virtual celebrities, Ling, boasts over 3 million followers on Instagram, earning approximately $8,500 per sponsored post and an estimated annual income of $11 million. The virtual idol, who debuted in May 2020, also demonstrates her appeal with over 130,000 followers on Weibo. She has secured advertising contracts with Tesla and Nayuki, one of China's largest bubble tea brands.

The popularity of virtual idols extends beyond the internet. In 2019, Chinese virtual singer Luo Tianyi held a concert, sharing the stage with pianist Lang Lang. This was the first music show in China to combine a 3D artist and a real musician. Last year, SM Entertainment (South Korea) also introduced a new girl group, Aespa, with four real members and four virtual clones of themselves.

AI writes essays

In fact, AI has already intervened in literary life through search algorithms on Google, Facebook, and other platforms, aiming to understand users' reading habits and preferences in order to suggest suitable works. However, few would have imagined that one day, these inanimate machines could actually write.

On August 25th, Parambook Publishing released the first novel written by artificial intelligence in South Korea.The world from now onThe author is AI Birampung. Writer and computer science expert Kim Tae Yeon directly supervised Birampung in writing this novel. Prior to this, the writer outlined the plot, setting, and characters of the book. According to the creators, Birampung not only understands and expresses dry sentences but also incorporates literary metaphors and implied meanings. The sentences written by Birampung are intricate, complex, and require almost no editing.

In Vietnam,NYM - My Future Self(2020) is the first book product marking the collaboration between humans and AI. Author Nguyen Phi Van takes readers into the world of NYM – an artificial intelligence product – and the journey of NYM in accessing topics that young Vietnamese people care about. NYM was built over more than 3 years, loaded with data on language and life knowledge. This AI had direct one-on-one conversations with 11 million young Vietnamese people on Facebook to gather information. The most special feature of the book is the chapter on sex, which is entirely written by the AI. The remaining chapters are written by Nguyen Phi Van, acting as NYM.

Going back five years, an unbelievable but true event occurred: a novel written by AI made it through the first round of Japan's national literary award – the novelThe day a computer writes a novelResearcher Hitoshi Matsubara and his team pre-selected words and sentences, then programmed the AI ​​to write them into complete paragraphs and a meaningful story. In the preliminary round of the aforementioned literary competition, the authors of the submitted works were not disclosed. Therefore, the judges had no idea that the novel was actually written by a machine, not a human.

AI for painting

One prime example of how machines can create paintings is Aida, the world's first AI surrealist robot artist. In 2019, Aida created a media sensation with her solo exhibition. Her work met all the criteria of true art, including its unique and unreplicable nature. In May 2021, Aida held another exhibition of self-portraits in the UK.

In 2018, the portrait was created by AI.Edmond de BelamyThe portrait fetched a staggering $432,500 (approximately 10 billion VND) at auction. Created by Obvious Art (France), the group used the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) algorithm, which has been employed by many artists since 2015. Prior to this, Obvious Art had completed 11 other paintings, including one that sold for €10,000 (approximately 265 million VND).

These startling figures have indeed proven that AI-generated artwork has commercial value comparable to any work by renowned artists. However, it has also come with much criticism, not only from those who want to protect traditional artistic creation but also from other artists who are researching artificial intelligence. Chris Peters, an AI artist, argues that artwork based entirely on algorithms remains soulless.

A threat to the artist?

As AI-generated products gain such acceptance and appreciation, the next question that arises is whether this will lead to job losses for artists and creative professionals.

Hugo Caselles-Dupré, one of the computer scientists at the Obvious creative group in Paris, asserts that they do not believe the art of artificial intelligence can replace humans. He compares the emergence and development of this creative method to the rise of the camera in the 18th century. It is simply a new art form, contributing to the richness of national cultures and exploring the boundless possibilities of humanity. However, he also does not deny that this is the golden age of artificial intelligence.

Although AI can create modern, sophisticated works that rival (or surpass) those of real artists, AI's creations clearly cannot match the artistry of real artists.rankWhat artists possess: individuality and unique emotions. On the other hand, AI can, and should, be seen as a tool to help humans further improve in all areas of life, including art.

Artificial intelligence is also a significant turning point in the development of ways to express emotions from artists. Perhaps, audiences have the right to expect a completely new future where art is contributed to by both machines and humans.

Huyen Chau - Photo: Internet