Artists are encouraged to use generative AI in their work ethicalIs it? This creator believes so. Take a look at her images and how she creates them.

There’s a lot of excitement about the potential of generative AI programs like Midjourney to quickly create works of art, but there’s one small problem for beginners. "A.I" The program is mass producing images that are merely copies of works of art without the consent or compensation of the actual human artists.

Is it possible to create ethically sound images based on AI? 1 artist named after "milena carbon", I believe so. In fact, Milena is a photographer who showcases her work in her gallery, experimented with Second Life screenshots as a medium, and is currently experimenting with generative AI.

The images that appear in this post are of Milena and are ethically sourced according to her lighting.

"Although the influence of artists cannot be avoided," she allows "But this is not limited to AI. When we create, we are always influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by the things we are attracted to and the writers we admire."

To prevent outright copying, she refuses to include artists in her Midjourney prompts.

"I forbid duplication or direct influence for ethical reasons. But I would like to say this out of respect for the artist and myself." she explains. "(I) For Midjourney, the use of the expressions ‘by’ or ‘in the style of’ after the artist’s name is prohibited. Even though I can claim to be part of (that) art movement.

"Another way to use AI to create a personal style is to define a set of parameters that define your style. This is what I do with all my images, with a ‘recipe’ that I don’t reveal. Of course, it’s always possible for anyone to get close, but as AI evolves, it remains my personal touch to evolve."

Another ethical component to her practice is making AI one of the many tools she uses to create the final images.

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See Milena’s AI artist description above.

"For example, in my recent work almost all images are aggregations of several Midjourney images, but sometimes there are also real textures and Photoshop image processing." With recent updates to programs like Midjourney, DALL-E 3, Photoshop’s Firefly, and new tools like Ideogram and D-ID, she believes digital artists like herself will be integrating multiple tools. This will lead to more versatile or complex tasks.

"I believe that all this will contribute to these tools making it possible to create original works and not just copies of existing artists. Or, as it still is today, works that can be ‘felt’ by AI (I admit that, as far as current work is concerned)."

Recently, she felt a backlash herself as she heard her artist friends and relatives complaining about the rise of generative AI. "I understand their reaction and mostly agree. Recently, there was swearing and dragging on YouTube."

Ironically, the very fact of ‘calling’ these images "AI" Sometimes it seems like it gives people permission to grossly insult the human creators who put great artistry and hard work into creating it.

But the high levels of vigor suggest that it is time for more productive conservation.

"Paradoxically," As Milena said, "This emotional overreaction shows that these new tools are challenging us and that it is a good idea to start a discussion about how AI can better serve the arts. I know I am a pioneer and it is not easy for me to be marginalized in this way simply because I have decided to ‘paint with a new brush’." 

To be honest, I think the real conversation starts when the art begins. critic AI-based works are receiving rave reviews. Nettrice Gaskins’ Deep Dream images have already gotten to that level, but it takes others to get to that level for the conversation to truly begin.

All images depicted here were created by Milena Carbone. Normally I would say they did "Copyright" But given that it was created based on an AI program and claimed by an anonymous artist known only by his Second Life avatar name, we’ll leave it to the judge to decide.