No, my work isn’t AI and it’s not a compliment.

Being accused of leveraging AI to create art isn’t a compliment. It’s a hard slap in the face and, yes, that’s a hill I’ll die on.

What it says to me is this: “I firmly believe you don’t have the skills needed to execute your vision so AI has to come in to do the hard work for you. You’re lazy, lacking an ounce of creativity and it’s on display for the world to see.”

In this new hellscape AI has created, most folks don’t know what’s real anymore and the default response becomes “this is AI” which damages an artist’s reputation and dismisses their efforts. That non-zero consequence has a significant impact on the viewer’s initial perception the work.

Artists will always have their work judged by a viewer but I can’t recall a time where I’ve ever felt so on trial with folks demanding me to prove it’s real.

Fun fact: This image still isn’t AI.

It’s a sad day when talent is overshadowed by doubt.

When I studied art in college, I remember my fascination with how a piece of art was made. There is a sense of wonderment and awe that happens when you view something totally new, something you’ve never seen before. Even today, I walk through galleries and immerse myself in the pieces because I want to enjoy them and understand how they came to be so that I can fully appreciate the effort that went into it. It’s fun to unravel the puzzle and contemplate the work holistically.

With the assault of AI on the art industry, it seems the public is losing their willingness to get lost in the work. I can’t blame them because who wants to be consistently bombarded by the presence of AI? But for an artist looking for spaces to share their creations, the simple act of posting brings anxiety and frustration — completely removing the joy and accomplishment in finishing a piece they’ve poured everything into. Rather than celebrating work, artists are immediately on damage control after posting to prove the work they made is, indeed, real.

I spend hours documenting the process of every scan so that I can prove my work is my own.

AI is destroying innovation.

To be clear, I believe artists can still innovate — but I don’t believe they’re getting the recognition they deserve because of the presence of AI. Even with new and experimental techniques — artists are met with “eh, it’s probably AI.” Tell me, if the work you do day-in-and-day-out was consistently questioned and dismissed in the same way, would you still feel as motivated to create or try new things? I doubt it.

As an artist, I’m compelled to create whether or not AI exists — but it is demotivating to share that work with others knowing it’ll be called ‘fake’. Sharing art builds community and inspires others. If we lose that mentality to the noise of AI, our art loses meaning.

Are you an artist that’s been impacted by AI? I’d love to hear from you.