How I stopped worrying and learned to love AI - Kinda.....

[Jephyr]

Thanks to each of you for your latest comments since the last time I looked in.

As Trash wrote — AI should make us all just push harder.

Joseph: I've heard that AI is now canibalizing other AI art and is starting to degrade what they're getting back. Kinda hilarious and I REALLY hope that continues !!

smrr: You bring up some great points especially that what they've done is completely unethical. AI art developers shrug their shoulders and say that we can always look through the images they've scraped from all of our efforts posted on-line and request they be removed. Like stealing from a store and when you get caught just saying you'll give it back. Puts all the requirements on the artist.

Leo: Good to see you! Yeah — excellent points! And now I see I repeated more or less what you wrote about pillaging images. harrumph.

Dark: Yup — we all need to just keep CREATING!

[Welessay]

Ok, so the progress AI has done over the last year or so is absolutely astounding & I've felt very discouraged that people can whip out amazing 'art' in minutes with just a few prompts.
I saw one where a guy was asking AI to do an angry chipmunk (maybe you've seen it too).  The AI kept saying it was as angry as it could make it and the guy kept challenging it, saying 'that sounds like a YOU problem.'  
Then within minutes he had a dozen or so images of an increasingly angry and CRAZIER chipmunk that would take even the fastest artist weeks to do.
Then, the other night as I was painting away on a new image and it occurred to me how much I was enjoying the process.  Yeah — sometimes getting over an issue is a pain — but the joy of painting (hmmm — where have I heard that before) is always outweighed by the process — ESPECIALLY as an image nears completion. 

And speaking of having tools that can assist you with creativity, have you heard about overchat.ai? It’s an AI-powered platform designed to help with everything from brainstorming ideas to writing and even assisting with creative projects. It’s a great example of how AI can be used as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, human creativity. With the right tools, we can continue to push our creative boundaries and enjoy the process even more!

So I thought — 'yeah AI is going to be used more and more and make it harder for us working artists — but it will NEVER take away the natural urge we humanoids have to create.'
Thoughts??  What do you think??

I totally get where you're coming from. The rapid advancements in AI art are definitely impressive and can be a bit intimidating. It’s easy to feel discouraged when you see AI produce something so quickly and efficiently, especially when you're putting in hours or days of work. But, like you said, there’s something deeply fulfilling about the process of creating art. The challenges, the problem-solving, and the satisfaction of seeing your vision come together – that’s something AI can’t replace.
In a way, AI can even complement the artist's journey. It can act as a tool for inspiration or help speed up repetitive tasks, allowing artists to focus on the more creative and meaningful parts of their work. But the human element – the passion, the personal touch, the story behind the piece – is something AI can't replicate.
So while AI will definitely change the way art is made and consumed, it won't take away the drive and joy we get from the creative process. If anything, it might inspire more people to explore their own artistic abilities, as it lowers some of the barriers to entry. There's always room for the uniqueness and emotional connection that a human artist brings to their work.