Joshua Cunningham

Joshua Cunningham does an incredible job of breaking down the tension between human intuition and machine learning without making it feel like a dry textbook.

I love how it explores the "soul" of art, asking if a piece can really be creative if a person didn't sweat over every brushstroke. It’s been sparking so many thoughts while I’m working on my own floral embroidery or even just looking at digital designs. The way he discusses the "age of algorithms" isn't scary; it’s more of a show more fascinating look at how our tools are evolving. If you’re into the intersection of tech and culture, this is a high quality deep dive that’ll definitely have you looking at your screen a little differently. show less

"In the past, images aimed to represent something. Now, increasingly, they generate the sense
of something."

"The AI of the Beholder" is a thought-provoking overview of some of the moral, legal, and aesthetic quandaries concerning the rapid rise of AI-generated imagery. Cunningham cites his own research and that of others in his exploration of these questions, considering how people react to art -- both traditional and computer-generated -- but also the implications of how AI imagery is show more generated, what it represents (or doesn't), and what it means for how we will relate to art and imagery in the future. Although the outlook seems bleak, Cunningham tries to balance the negatives by pointing out areas where AI art and artistic tools could be beneficial and even creative.

This is a good book for getting an overview of these issues, how generative AI works (at a basic level), and for reflecting on how we want to relate to AI-generated "creative" works overall. show less

I am a resolute skeptic on the value of AI being crammed into everything in sight, but even I grant that the author raises some good points here. I think he's a bit too generous overall, but not nearly as much as the clown he quoted as saying something to the effect of, "there's no point in artists any more because machines can do all the art". Artists using AI to refine their work before creating the actual piece themselves is much less problematic than the fools who think that art is dead show more because we can just get the plagiarism machine to do everything.

He also points out some of the legal and labor issues likely to come up - the bit about "dentist office art" being a particularly good example of the latter. At the same time, if you aren't deeply concerned about art and/or generative AI being crammed into everything, you aren't going to be particularly interested in this book. show less

This is a readable book that explores the many questions surrounding AI generated art. The author begins with a brief history of how past technological developments have shaped artistic expression. He then explains how AI art is created. Subsequent chapters delve into the challenges and controversies surrounding AI created art. There is a discussion of the ethical, economic, and legal questions pertaining to AI art. The artist’s role in machine produced art is considered. A chapter deals show more with the ability to identify AI generated art and why it is important to be able to do so. The future of AI art is considered. Finally, the author confronts the question of whether AI produced art can be considered legitimate art. The author does not provide definitive answers to the controversies AI art has provoked. Rather he guides the reader in grappling with the fundamental questions surrounding art created by artificial intelligence. Key issues concerning AI art are clearly defined. The reader is presented with the questions to be considered and various ways those questions may be answered. Ultimately, though, the author leaves it to the reader to come up with his or her own answers. show less