Told a guy at a gallery opening that AI art 'had no soul' and he hit me with a story I can't forget

I was at First Friday in downtown Austin last month, standing in front of a massive oil painting. Some guy next to me said his digital piece was generated in 12 seconds. I scoffed and said something about soulless machines. He just laughed and told me his wife has ALS and can't hold a brush anymore. She used an AI tool to sketch out a portrait of their daughter from memory. Then he asked me if that art had no soul either. I didn't have an answer. Has anyone else had a moment that flipped your whole stance?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan7251mo ago

Oh man... that's the kind of story that makes you feel about two inches tall. I once argued that digital photography wasn't "real photography" until someone showed me a photo their grandma took on her iPad right before she passed. Now I just keep my mouth shut about art.

tyler_wilson1mo ago

Wait did that actually change your whole view on what art is?