At this point, I think we can all agree that AI is mostly crap. Sure, it has its uses, but when it’s taking money out of people’s pockets by serving as a soulless substitute for something a real human can do, that’s not a good thing – especially when it comes to art.
Right?
Apparently not everyone agrees with this opinion. In an interview with Poland’s Sound terrorDeicide drummer Steve Asheim spoke out on AI in light of the controversy that arose earlier this year when the band unveiled the cover art for their latest album. Banished from sin. As you can probably guess from the context clues, people online accused the band of using AI to create said art, and as a result, people sour.
Although Asheim has said in the past that the cover was a nod to the cover of their eponymous 1900 album, he also explained that it was designed by a real person who was paid for their work. Still, in this recent interview, he hinted that AI may be inevitable and that there is nothing we can do to stop its progress.
“They do it with music and with writing, and AI is invading everything. How do you stop it? I don’t know. Go back to a guy with a brush and a canvas and stuff like that. Sure, they still exist. A lot of people do their art on the computer with art programs or whatever. I don’t know the names of any of them, but I know people are using the latest technology, and this seems to be the latest.”
Later in the interview, he mentioned the fan reaction to the cover. Given the new nature of AI and the impact it could have on the real world in the near future, he said he understands where people are coming from, but it’s not too far removed from the time when computer-generated imagery first came into vogue.
“If there’s a backlash – usually every now and then there’s some kind of backlash against something, so we’ll see how that plays out and what really happens on our next album. We’ll see what’s available then. We’ll see, I guess. We’re just moving with the times.
“In 1992, we did computer art for Legion. And I don’t know if you would – of course they weren’t thinking about AI back then, but it wasn’t a guy with a paintbrush or anything. Nobody had a problem with it back then. I don’t know what the problem is now.”
