Art and AI: What is an Artist's Style Worth? StarryAI, Copyright with Kimberly Brooks

Kimberly Brooks
22 Jul 202313:34

TLDRIn this video, Kimberly Brooks explores the intersection of art and artificial intelligence, focusing on the ethical and legal implications of AI replicating an artist's style. She discusses the potential for AI to generate artwork in the style of living artists, raising questions about copyright infringement. Brooks also demonstrates the capabilities of Starry AI with artist Don Smith, showing how it can create unique images using various prompts and artistic styles. The conversation delves into the complexities of AI-generated art and the challenges it poses to traditional notions of authorship and intellectual property.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 The artist Kimberly Brooks discusses the implications of AI on art and the potential copyright issues it may raise.
  • 🤖 The transcript revolves around the use of Starry AI, an app that can generate art based on user prompts and artistic styles.
  • 🚀 Kimberly Brooks imagines a scenario where AI could replicate her distinct style without her consent, raising concerns about originality and ownership.
  • 👩‍🎨 The video includes an in-depth demonstration of Starry AI with artist Don Smith, showcasing how it uses prompts and style filters to create art.
  • 📚 Kimberly Brooks references her experience as an Arts editor at The Huffington Post and a copyright issue involving the use of another artist's style.
  • 📜 She explains that while styles of deceased artists are out of copyright, using the style of living artists could infringe on their rights.
  • 🤝 The script mentions the importance of obtaining permission from artists when using their style as a filter in AI-generated art.
  • 🖼️ The demonstration shows how Starry AI can create variations of art based on uploaded images and selected style presets.
  • 🧩 Starry AI offers a range of categories and styles to combine with user prompts, suggesting a wide array of creative possibilities.
  • 🛑 Kimberly Brooks expresses skepticism about Starry AI's claim that it only uses public domain images, doubting the AI's ability to discern copyright status.
  • 💡 The discussion highlights the ongoing debate about the legality and ethics of AI-generated art, especially when it mimics the style of living artists.

Q & A

  • What is the main concern of Kimberly Brooks regarding AI and art?

    -Kimberly Brooks is concerned about AI technologies using the style of living artists whose work is still under copyright, and allowing others to create derivative works without permission.

  • What is Starry AI, and how does it work?

    -Starry AI is an app that generates images based on user-provided prompts and stylistic qualities. Users can input an image and a series of words, and the app will produce variations based on its algorithms.

  • How does Kimberly Brooks feel about AI creating images in her style?

    -She would be upset if AI was used to create images in her style without her permission, especially since her work is still under copyright.

  • What is the copyright issue Kimberly Brooks faced at The Huffington Post?

    -Kimberly Brooks faced a copyright issue when she created a game called 'Guess the Artist', which involved using an image by Piet Mondrian. The Mondrian Foundation threatened to charge them for using the copyrighted image without permission.

  • How does Starry AI handle the use of living artists' styles?

    -Starry AI claims that it only uses images located in the public domain and does not use copyrighted works of art. However, Kimberly Brooks expresses skepticism about the AI's ability to accurately determine what is in the public domain.

  • What is the legal stance on AI-generated art and copyright?

    -The legal stance on AI-generated art and copyright is still being argued. If the AI-generated work is wholly created by the AI without human input, it may not be eligible for copyright. However, if parts of the work were made by a human, they may be eligible for copyright.

  • How does Starry AI generate variations of an image?

    -Starry AI generates variations by using preset stylistic qualities and categories chosen by the user, in addition to the image and prompts provided.

  • What are the ethical implications of AI using artists' styles without their consent?

    -The ethical implications include potential copyright infringement and the undermining of an artist's unique style and creative expression. It raises questions about ownership and the value of an artist's original work.

  • Can AI truly be considered an 'artist' if it generates images based on human input?

    -While AI can create images based on algorithms and input, it is not considered an 'artist' in the traditional sense, as it lacks the creative intent and emotional expression that humans bring to their work.

  • What is the significance of the discussion about AI and art in the context of the art world?

    -The discussion is significant as it challenges the traditional notions of art creation, authorship, and copyright. It forces the art world to consider the role of technology in art and the potential impact on artists' rights and the value of original artwork.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Artistic AI and Copyright Concerns

In this paragraph, Kimberly Brooks discusses the hypothetical scenario of an AI technology that mimics her distinct artistic style upon request. She raises concerns about the potential misuse of this technology, especially with living artists whose work is still under copyright. Brooks also shares her personal experience with a copyright issue when she was an Arts editor at The Huffington Post, highlighting the legal complexities surrounding artistic styles and intellectual property. She introduces the viewer to an in-depth demonstration of Starry AI with artist Don Smith, where they experiment with prompts using both deceased and living artists' styles, emphasizing the ethical and legal questions that arise from AI-generated art.

05:08

🤖 Exploring AI Art Generation and Its Legal Implications

This paragraph delves into the practical use of Starry AI by Don Smith, who demonstrates the app's functionality. The app generates art based on user-provided prompts and stylistic preferences. Smith discusses the AI's capability to produce multiple variations of an image and the selection of preset styles and artists as filters. He also addresses the legal and ethical considerations of AI-generated art, particularly the question of copyright ownership when the AI's output is based on prompts from copyrighted images. The paragraph explores the gray area of AI art generation, where the line between human creativity and AI tool use becomes blurred, and raises questions about the potential for copyright infringement when AI recreates the styles of living artists.

10:13

📜 Copyright, AI, and the Public Domain Debate

In the final paragraph, the discussion shifts to the broader implications of AI-generated art and its relationship with copyright law. The speaker questions the AI's claim of only using public domain images, expressing skepticism about the AI's ability to discern copyrighted material. They recount past experiences at The Huffington Post, where they faced copyright claims for using images of artworks that were believed to be in the public domain. The paragraph underscores the evolving nature of copyright in the digital age, where the traditional methods of asserting ownership, such as watermarking, may no longer be sufficient. It also speculates on the potential for AI to infringe on the rights of living artists by replicating their styles without permission, thus contributing to the ongoing debate on the intersection of technology, art, and law.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence, often abbreviated as AI, refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the context of the video, AI is used to generate art in the style of various artists, raising questions about originality and copyright. The script mentions Starry AI, an app that uses AI to create art based on user prompts and style preferences.

💡Copyright

Copyright is a legal right that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights to its use and distribution, typically for a set period of time. The video discusses the complexities of copyright in the context of AI-generated art, questioning who owns the rights when an AI mimics the style of a living artist, as illustrated by Kimberly Brooks' hypothetical scenario.

💡Artistic Style

An artist's style refers to the unique and recognizable way in which an artist creates their work. It is often developed over years and can be a signature of the artist's identity. The video script explores the value and recognition of an artist's style, especially when AI technologies can replicate or be trained on these styles.

💡Starry AI

Starry AI is an application mentioned in the script that uses AI to generate art based on user-provided prompts and style preferences. It represents the intersection of technology and art, allowing users to experiment with different artistic styles and concepts, as demonstrated by the artist Don Smith in the video.

💡Prompt

In the context of AI art generation, a prompt is a word or phrase that guides the AI in creating a specific type of art. The script describes how users can input prompts like 'vampires on Mars' and specify styles to generate unique artwork, reflecting the creative potential of AI.

💡Marie Cassatt

Marie Cassatt is an example of an artist from the 1800s whose work and style are out of copyright, as mentioned in the script. She is used as an example to discuss the implications of AI using historical artists' styles without legal restrictions.

💡Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons is an artist mentioned in the script in relation to a copyright case involving the use of a photograph for his sculpture. The case illustrates the legal complexities that can arise when the boundaries between original art and derivative works are blurred, which is relevant to AI-generated art.

💡NFT

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, a unique digital asset that represents ownership of a particular item or piece of content on the blockchain. The script humorously suggests making an NFT out of an AI-generated piece, highlighting the emerging markets and value associated with digital art.

💡Public Domain

The public domain refers to works that are not protected by copyright and are free for anyone to use. Starry AI claims to train its models on images in the public domain, as mentioned in the script, to avoid copyright infringement, though the speaker expresses skepticism about this claim.

💡Firstpersonartist.com

Firstpersonartist.com is the website of Kimberly Brooks, the host of the video. It serves as a platform for artists and is mentioned in the script to establish her credentials as an artist and to provide context for her perspective on AI and art.

💡The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post is a news and blog site where Kimberly Brooks worked as an Arts editor, as mentioned in the script. It provides context for her experience with copyright issues and her understanding of the legal implications of using artists' styles.

Highlights

The discussion explores the value of an artist's unique style in the context of AI-generated art.

Kimberly Brooks raises concerns about AI apps mimicking living artists' styles, potentially infringing on copyright.

The video includes an in-depth demonstration of Starry AI with artist Don Smith, using prompts with dead and living artists as filters.

Kimberly Brooks shares a personal copyright issue from her time as Arts editor at The Huffington Post.

The video examines the legal implications of AI using styles of living artists still under copyright.

Jeff Koons' legal battle over copyright infringement is mentioned as a precedent.

Starry AI's functionality is demonstrated, allowing users to input prompts and styles to generate images.

Don Smith's experience with Starry AI shows how it can produce images that artists might prefer over their own work.

The video discusses the AI's ability to generate variations based on user-uploaded images and selected styles.

Kimberly Brooks and Don Smith experiment with prompts and styles to create unique AI-generated images.

The conversation questions the legitimacy of AI-generated art and its potential copyright issues.

Starry AI's claim of only using public domain images is scrutinized for its plausibility.

The video raises the question of whether AI can accurately distinguish between copyrighted and public domain art.

Kimberly Brooks recounts her experience with copyright claims as an editor, highlighting the evolving nature of copyright in the digital age.

The video concludes with a skeptical view on AI's role in art creation and the potential for legal disputes.

The ethical and practical challenges of AI-generated art and its impact on living artists are considered.

The video suggests that AI-generated art might be a tool, but the originality and creativity still lie with the human input.