This past Sunday, February 8, the New England Patriots faced off against the Seattle Seahawks for the Super Bowl in Levi’s Stadium, about 40 miles southeast of San Francisco. The Seahawks went on to decisively defeat the Patriots by a score of 29-13. For New England fans, it was a disappointing end to an unforgettable season that defied all expectations; but to Seattle fans, it was a thrilling tale of revenge 11 years after Super Bowl XLIX, finally putting to rest the humiliation of that oh-so preventable loss.
But this article is not about the Super Bowl. It is not even about football or sports in general. Rather, it is about an issue that has sparked much debate in the past few years: the AI dilemma in arts and entertainment.
This past Super Bowl Sunday saw multiple commercials that heavily used artificial intelligence, most notably a Dunkin’ advertisement parodying “Good Will Hunting” and an Xfinity advertisement depicting the characters from “Jurassic Park” enjoying their time on the island thanks to the telecommunication company’s wireless service.
But these were not the only commercials to make use of the new technology. According to Adweek, 23% of the 66 commercials this past Super Bowl featured artificial intelligence, with some, like those mentioned above, making heavy use of AI, mainly to recreate famous characters on screen, since the actors are now older.
The commercials have furthered concerns about AI and its place in the creative and artistic processes. Many show concern about future prospects for those looking to enter creative professions such as graphic design, animation, and illustration. Many view it as not only unfair to these aspiring creators but also as deeply unethical, as they view the advent of AI as a way for companies to reduce their workforce and rely increasingly on computers and technology.
“I think that it’s really attractive for companies to use it because it means that they don’t have to employ as many people. That’s a really sad idea for me as a person that wants to encourage creatives to go out and make things,” shared ERHS art and design teacher Tawny Castillo. “I think a lot of the things that we’re seeing from corporations about AI are loud because they have so much money. I think that the people who are making the art are also being just as loud, but they don’t have as much money to spend.”
Castillo also elaborated on what pushback against AI use in creative projects should look like. “We’ve opened Pandora’s box, we’re not going to be able to shove it back in… So I think the pushback that needs to happen from the creative community needs to be some way to hold companies accountable… In the same way, corporations have money to push their ideas, so do consumers. So if people that are consuming that [creative] content don’t purchase AI slop, then they won’t make it anymore.”
“I’m disappointed by how much AI is being pushed in mainstream media in general,” shares a student of animation at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) who asked to be unnamed. “The ads generally promote it as something to make research or conceptualizing easier… I’m trying to say that I just feel like the advertisements are intended to make people believe that they need to rely on it for tasks they’ve already been able to perform.”
Like Castillo, the student also commented on the use of AI in artistic and creative projects. “I don’t find it acceptable. I feel like for something to be considered art, one of the few criteria is that the artist who created it and whoever assisted them is an actual person… Relying on something to organize or generate your concepts for you defeats the purpose of even being in a creative career.”
The student concluded with this philosophical question, “How are you going to make something thought-provoking if you can’t even conceive your own thoughts without hitting up a robot?”
Much debate remains around the use of AI, with much more to come in the future as the technology advances. Art and creativity will always be a heated issue, as some will defend it while others criticize it.
Even in the spirit of unbiased journalism, it is a fair question to ask, “How are you going to make something thought-provoking if you can’t even conceive of your own thoughts without hitting up a robot?”
