I think generative AI applied to the arts will be a tool of the mind like a calculator or Mathematica or R or numpy. They democratize the mechanics of language

I think generative AI applied to the arts will be a tool of the mind like a calculator or Mathematica or R or numpy. They democratize the mechanics of language and visual arts, but they don’t erase the difference between a skilled artist and a layman. A skilled artist has a spark that sees beyond the average mind into a world that inspires. AI can make the boilerplate processes easier and more rote, and also unlock a new generation of artists not hobbled by their lack of linguistic or craft skill. The average quality of mindless garbage will improve and that’s not a bad thing. But the quality of skilled art will also improve and that’s a good thing. I think you can already see this if you watch the galleries for Midjourney and other forums - the creativity on display isn’t coming from the AI, the prompts are elaborate but their basis is very creative. Artists bemoaned the camera for very similar reasons. Yes it did put out of work portrait artists. But it also opened the door to abstract, modernism, post modernism, and a new exploration of art not being simply reproducing what can be seen. There is a real risk to the livelihood of people who generate SEO and other garbage. On the other hand, SEO and other garbage produced by GPT4 is actually informative. The garbage will become better garbage. But the people who survive by making garbage will need to find other roles in the world. The artists of our society, writers, visual artists, and others, so long as they adapt learn and innovate rather than die fighting the machine as John Henry did will survive, thrive, and usher in a new age of art.