AI is NOT better than you
I think we should shit on any art that uses generative AI; no exceptions, no matter what it’s being used for.
I read Future Perfect post, and it inspired me to talk about it. He talks about the frustration of hearing others talk shit about a local band’s poster that used AI, and he says:
Like, for fuck’s sake! These guys probably barely had enough money to pay the sound engineer, let alone a decent graphic artist for their time and efforts.
And I completely understand the point. But I could very well be one of those people talking shit about that other band’s poster—not because I “hate” AI, or because it’s my personal crusade, but because they very well could have made something with their own hands instead of using generative AI or even paying a graphic designer.
When I was about to finish high school, I went through a really fun phase where I attended battle-of-the-bands events every week. Several of my friends formed bands, and at one point I even dared to get on stage and play with them despite my teenage anxiety and almost nonexistent musical talent.
It was incredibly inspiring to see how a community of alternative music lovers, in a small town like mine, made these events happen to keep the scene alive.
Part of what made it cool was seeing that each band had its own identity; not just through the kind of music they played, but through how they dressed, their stage presence, the name that represented them and… their logo and event poster.
It’s kind of amazing to think about how, back in 2011, a group of 17-year-old kids managed to design their own logos and make the event posters (some bands even designed mascots) with the little knowledge—and even fewer resources—they had.
Of course, there was always one logo that stood out more than the others, and there was never a shortage of some kid making fun of an event poster because it wasn’t as well done as event X or Y. But at the end of the day, those people had an identity, and no matter how amateur it looked, it was theirs.
If you let AI represent you, I wouldn’t be surprised if the response you get is rejection. Because it’s no longer just about your band’s identity being generic, sadly, you're being part of a larger problem that’s affecting society on multiple levels.
And honestly, I think the big problem is looking at generative AI through this lens that sometimes feels like a big “What do you want me to do? I don’t know graphic design! I had to use AI". These poor people without time and skill but with a subscriptions to ChatGPT.
Brother, sister — try learning. Try “trying and failing” for once. Try asking that friend who knows a thing or two about Photoshop for a favor. I know it’s hard, but let’s not act like there’s no other choice but to use generative AI when we’ve always managed to cope and thrive without it.
I think it’s important to call out generative AI in art and show our rejection of it, because normalizing its use (even more than it already is) could permanently distance us from what makes us connect with our essence, and eventually, with each other.