Seven Arguments about AI Images and Generative Media
Publication
Lev Manovich. "Seven Arguments about AI Images and Generative Media." (Chapter 5 of Artificial Aesthetics by Lev Manovich and Emanuele Arielli.)
Abstract
This chapter explores the emergence and implications of AI-generated media, with a focus on images. It begins by proposing hat the development of generative AI represents a significant revolution in media creation history, comparable to major shifts like the invention of photography or adoption of linear perspective. I situate AI generative media within a historical context, drawing connections to earlier artistic movements and techniques like photomontage, postmodern bricolage, and database art. I emphasize how AI continues the tradition of creating new art from accumulations of existing cultural artifacts, but does so through novel methods of pattern extraction and prediction.
I examine several key aspects of AI generative media. I discuss how it enables new forms of "media translation" between different types like text and images. I analyze the tension between stereotypical/idealized outputs and unique human creations, noting AI's current limitations in replicating highly specific styles or details.
The relationship between subject and style in AI-generated images is also explored. My experiments show that AI tools can often successfully simulate some aspects of an artist's style, but may struggle when applying this subject to unfamiliar subjects. This suggests that that for many artists, style and content are not cleanly separable. This observation complicates the traditional binary opposition between 'content' and 'style' in art theory.
Throughout, I demonstrate how engagement with AI generative tools offers new perspectives on longstanding questions in art and media theory. Systematic experiments with these technologies yield can fresh insights into cultural history and artistic practice. Despite current limitations, AI generative media continues the tradition of artists expanding creative possibilities through emerging technologies, while also challenging our understanding of style, content, and the nature of artistic creation.