Can AI Replace Artists?

Think of the last time you created a work of art—a drawing, a painting, or even a new background for your phone. How did you do it? Could a robot have done it equally well?

As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, AI art has begun to compete with or even replace human artists in areas such as illustration, video game creation, and graphic design—the art of combining text and pictures for websites, books, and magazines.

Many people praise the use of AI art. They say AI can produce creative images quickly and inspire new ideas. Plus, it can take over repetitive art tasks such as removing unwanted objects from images.

But other people paint a different picture of the technology. They argue that AI can’t produce true art, because it lacks human originality. Relying too much on AI art, they warn, could jeopardize people’s ability to create art on their own.

Can AI replace artists? Two illustrators face off on the question.

AI can replace artists. In fact, it’s already happening. With AI tools, you can create beautiful images in seconds.

We used to think art could be created only by skilled painters and other artisans. But now anyone with a computer can rival human artists. You’ve probably encountered these kinds of images in video games and books. Some galleries even sell AI pieces as fine art (see photos, above).

AI tools can also replicate ancient art. The company Robotor uses AI machines to create sculptures that could have been made by Michelangelo. That Renaissance sculptor is considered one of the best artists of all time.

Plus, AI art can save companies time and money. Coca-Cola has used AI to create scenes and music for its holiday commercials, eliminating the need for artists and designers. That made the process faster and cheaper.

People should embrace AI art. We have been using tools for art ever since the first humans drew with charcoal on a cave wall. AI is our latest tool. It will expand human creativity, allowing us—any of us—to make whatever we can imagine.

—Ted Leonhardt
Creative career consultant and former illustrator

Art is a deeply human endeavor. It’s about translating something you feel into something that can be experienced by others. You start with a blank canvas, and through instinct and experimentation, you fill it with something uniquely yours. Pressing a button to generate an image is the opposite of that creative process.

AI could never create original art. It makes artwork by trawling the internet, accumulating millions of existing images and repackaging the product as something new. Human artists are influenced by other art too, but there’s a big difference: They bring memory, emotion, and even imperfection to the process.

AI strips that soul out. It encourages people to believe that their AI-generated image is equivalent to work created through years of practice. But it isn’t. An image made with AI is a shallow impersonation—like being promised a Taylor Swift concert only to get a karaoke version of “Cruel Summer.”

Humans have a natural impulse to draw. It’s how we explore and understand the world. We must not suffocate that impulse for the sake of convenience. Could AI be a useful tool for creating art? Sure. But a replacement of artists? Never. Art isn’t an algorithm. It’s human. It’s fun. And it’s irreplaceable.

—Rob Biddulph 
Children’s book author and illustrator