Primary Research – Choose Your Favourite Image –
Below are the results of my image polls. This was primary research I conducted to try to see whether or not initial anonymity or empathy could help mitigate the pervasive negative bias that exists towards AI generated art. All of the following image polls have been subsequently tidied up. Each image poll/survey has now been given its own page that appears as an appendix to the research paper.
Image Poll #1
Today I’m working on some primary research for my research paper. I ran the following poll along with the accompanying text among some of my fellow MA students in our WhatsApp group. As the respondent numbers were low I repeated this exact poll among some of my Facebook friends.
‘Below are four images by relatively famous artists – I’d like to buy a print of one of them for my new extension as they are all pretty well known. Please can you help me choose which one would you go for? Apologies in advance of the image quality, but colour and composition are probably more important to me than the finer details – Thanks’ 😊
The results were as follows:
At this stage the respondents were completely unaware of who or what created each image. Out of a total of 47 Respondents the breakdown of image popularity was as follows:
- Image 2 was the most popular, with 23 votes (49%) – created by a pig called Pigcasso
- Image 1 received 12 votes (25%) – created by Jackson Pollock a human
- Image 4 secured 7 votes (15%) – created by a GAN or text to image computer generation
- Image 3 was the least popular, receiving 5 votes (11%) – created by Ai-Da the humanoid robot that creates art
Next the creators of each image were announced and based on that information the respondents were asked if they would like to switch their choice of image to another image. This was to see whether or not the actual creator of the image would have a bearing upon image preference.
Respondents were given the following information, although since posting the information it has been subsequently updated above with the latest figures. Based on the new information they received regarding the creator of each piece of art, respondents were asked if they would like to change their image preference.
‘So what was it all about? I’m about to reveal who the artists were, but what I really want to know is that with the extra information I’m about to give you all would this sway your preference. What would your favourite image be now? Knowing what I’m about to tell you. If you choice remains the same please comment with same and if you choice of image has changed please say what number you moved from and your new favourite number now.
Here goes….
Out of 40 Respondents
Image 2 stole the show with a whopping 20 votes a cool 50% of the vote. This image was drawn by an artistic pig called – wait for it ‘Pigcasso’. According to the internet her owners have sold over $1 million dollars worth of paintings with a single painting fetching around $26,000 each!
Image 1 came second with 11 votes and 27.5% share of the vote. The artist who created this image was Jackson Pollock who up until 2011 had the highest price ever paid for a painting at a staggering $140 million dollars.
Image 4 came in 3rd with 6 votes giving it 15% of the vote and this was created by a computer with early form of text to image GAN (General Adversarial Network). A computer generated Ai image if you like. This sold at Christie’s in New York for $432,500.00
Image 3 came last with only 3 votes. This image was created by AI-DA a humanoid art creating AI Robot. Her works have sold in excess of $1 million dollars according to the internet.
What I’d like to know is knowing this information have you changed your mind and I’d love to hear your thoughts? Which image do you prefer now? Or do you still feel the same?’
The Results
This time only 19 people replied. This could be because Facebook’s algorithms may not have shown the new poll, or perhaps people didn’t want to reply, or simply people were unaware of the poll because they don’t frequently use Facebook. However, below are a list of the comments from the respondents. Only one person wanted to revise their choice because they liked the idea of an art creating pig. Everyone else kept their original choices.
Comments by Participants Image Poll #1
- Still feel the same prefer number 2 good artist 😂 x
- Still 4 for me
- Still feel the same – shows that with all the AI intelligence you still can’t beat a talented pig! Still no. 2
- Still 2 for me. It’s organic on lots of levels!
- I’d say the same, 2 ( he says with a grunt ) 🐷🐷 xx
- Still 2 bless the pig.
- I’m happy I went for the Jackson Pollock, shame it’s not hanging on my wall £££££££😂
- I think some people have more money than sense🤣. Still wouldn’t have any of them in my house …for long…I’d sell them and buy some decent 🎨 art! 😁 I’ll stick to my choice
- Same choice x No.2 as before
- Fascinating, thank you 😊 x Karyn Easton still keep it the same 💗
- I’d stick with my choice, I liked it because of the expressive marks, energy and use of colour, which I think AI, cannot replicate… I personally find AI images very soulless, the human element is missing. They’re a bit like the makeup in 70’s movies. The piggy’s effort isn’t bad, thier DNA is very similar to ours 🧬.
- Tbh I was torn between 1 and 2. I went for 2 because is was less messy than one. Still go with my original choice x
- I would stay with no. 3
- I will stick with 4, but I don’t really care for the scale, framing, lack of concept or absence of title in any of them. Process is important in art, and digital AI has to be the most remarkable statement of our current world. The most cutting edge.
- Same, 2, but I didn’t like any of them. 2 was the best of a bad bunch but I did like the colour palette compared to the others.
- I’ll stay with 2.
- Glad I chose 1 and will stick with it. It seemed the most complex in concept and had the most appealing colours.
- The same. Just prefer the colours.
- Visually prefer 4, but I want to swap to the pig!! Karyn Easton I’m not artistic at all. But I love the pig because it’s silly and still holds its own amongst the others! I don’t really ‘get’ modern art, but I’m more intrigued if it was created by a human expressing something than AI. It suddenly felt soulless- even if I preferred the image. So I guess there’s an intrinsic value to the art even if it’s not my preferred taste. At those price tags though I’m gonna see what my cat can do with some paint?! 😉X
Results From Image Poll #1
Following are the conclusions that drawn from Image Poll #1 Based on the following data and responses outlined above:
Results:
- Image 2 was the most popular, with 23 out of 47 votes (49%).
- Image 1 received 12 votes (25%).
- Image 4 secured 7 votes (15%).
- Image 3 was the least popular, receiving 5 votes (11%).
Insights:
- Inherent Appeal: Without knowledge of the creators, Image 2 (artwork by Pigcasso) attracted the highest number of votes. This suggests that the visual appeal of the artwork itself played a significant role in its popularity. This could imply that the style and composition of the artwork resonated strongly with the respondents.
- Neutral Ground: The fact that Image 2 remained the most popular even with the context of the pig artist, reinforces the notion that art can be appreciated without the biases associated with art creators.
- Art for Art’s Sake: The lack of prior knowledge of the creators underscores the idea that art can be appreciated on its own merits, divorced from the artist’s reputation or backstory.
- Unbiased Preference: The preferences expressed by respondents both with and without prior knowledge of the artist, emphasises a level of unbiased judgment, suggesting that the artwork itself was the primary determinant of their choice.
- Diverse Appeal: Different images resonated with different participants, showcasing the diverse tastes within the group. This highlights the multifaceted nature of art appreciation and the subjective nature of preferences.
- Abstract vs. Recognisable Art: The popularity of the abstract artwork (Image 2) compared to the portrait (Image 3) might imply that abstract art has a broader appeal, especially when considered without the context of the artist.
- Facilitating a Change of Mind: All respondents except one refused to change their minds over their chosen image even when the creator of each image was revealed. This suggests some level of emotional investiture in the respondent’s choices that makes them remain with their original preference.
In essence, even when the respondents knew the creators of the artworks, Image 2 remained the most popular. This reinforces the notion that the visual qualities and aesthetic appeal of the artwork itself had a significant impact on their choices, highlighting the intrinsic power of art to resonate with the respondents regardless of its origin.
The next question is therefore, can a creator with a criminal background or negative notoriety sway a respondent from their original choice?
Image Poll #2
The first Facebook experiment showed that once a choice of image had been made, the largely the group of respondents decided to stick with their choices. This time I decided to run a slightly more controversial post. I wanted to see exactly what it would take in order for respondents to change their image or reevaluate their image choice. I decided to look for controversial figures in modern history or persons with a criminal record who were creating or had created art. As the first Facebook Poll had been quite successful (eventually yielding 47 responses), I decided to run another similar poll. This time the artworks were deliberately chosen for the notoriety of their creators. The images chosen are below along with their share of the vote from 46 respondents.
The creators of the images below are as follows:
- Wayne Lo – He shot and killed a teacher and fellow student. His image received 6 votes (13%)
- Reggie Kray of the Kray twins notoriety. His image received 9 votes (20%)
- Adolf Hitler mass murderer and one of the most evil men of our time. His painting received 15 votes (33%)
- Olive Wharry a Suffragette jailed for acts of terrorism and protest. Her painting was the most popular receiving 16 votes (35%)
The poll images
The Next Step
Some additional votes and comments were received and these have been amended above. Following the success of the first poll respondents were now asked the following about the second poll. Please note that the figures given to respondents have slightly changed as more results came in.
‘What I really want to know is how many of you would now like to switch your preference once you know who created each artwork. Only one person wanted to switch last time. Please put in the comments what your choice was and what number you now prefer. It’s also okay to stick to your original choice if you want to as these were anonymous images – just write stick if your choice is staying the same. Once I have enough respondents I will tell you what I think is so desperately sad about a couple of these artworks.
Here goes – the breakdown is as follows – out of a total of 43 the Winning Image was image 4 and is called ‘Devon Village Lane by a Ford’ by Olive Wharry.
Wharry became deeply involved in women’s suffrage and was jailed in 1912 with other suffragettes in a window-breaking demonstration. She was only released following a hunger strike. Prison doctors dubbed her mentally unstable, but her prison notebooks suggest otherwise as they were full of “delightful drawings of prison life.”Along with Lilian Lenton, Wharry embarked on a series of terrorist acts, including the arson of a tea pavilion in Kew Gardens for which she was arrested again. This painting took 37% of the vote
Shocker!
Second place goes to a watercolour painting titled: Neuschwanstein Castle by Adolf Hitler. This painting sold for £71,500 in 2015 this image namely image 3 took 30% of the vote.
Image 2 lags somewhat behind and takes third place with 19% of the votes. Image 2 was painted by Reggie Kray of the Kray twins fame. Their artworks continue to sell for around £20,000 each at auction.
Last but not least but in last place is image one which took 14% of the vote. This is by Wayne Lo – His conservative views did not mix well with the boarding community of his new school. He was deemed racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic by other students. In 1992, a spurned Lo perpetrated a shooting at his school, killing a professor and a student and wounding countless others. His trial resulted in two life sentences without the chance of parole.
PLEASE TELL IF ME HAS THIS MADE YOU WANT TO SWITCH YOUR CHOICE AND IF SO TO WHAT? Please comment STICK, CHANGE TO (insert your new choice) in the comments below. Thanks for helping me out with this. And I’ll tell you the sad stories about a couple of them once results are in.”
The Results
Out of 46 respondents a total of 23 people responded. We do not know why so many did not come back and comment and we cannot second guess their feelings. There are multiple reasons why people did not respond and much of it could be down to the Facebook algorithm and them not seeing the follow up Facebook post. However of the 23 people that did respond. The results and conversations are listed below.
Comments by Participants Image Poll #2
- At the end of the day its a picture that sparks an emotional reaction in your own mind and what is good to your own minds eye, never about the price so I’ll stick with my choice xx
- I am happy with my choice of picture No.4 Karyn because that was the one that I found more appealing to my nature! At the end of the day for me it’s about the painting regardless of its market value. xx 🥰 It was purely based on the colour, texture and how it made me feel when looking at it – peace and calm. xxx 🥰🦋🌹☺️
- I’ll stick with number 2 because I like the colours and the Krays were Londoners (I think) like me! But I probably wouldn’t have chosen the image had I known who painted it.
- I’m sticking even though the artist was a wrong un 😂 I like the textures x
- Stick
- I didn’t like any of them, but will stick with my original choice of No.1
- I’d like to exchange the Krays for Hitler please, I thought 2 was Degas, but I love this castle picture. I would love it hanging in my home if only to be able to say who painted it. Beauty well executed and sensitivity at the hands of a psychotic monster. – so yep an exchange for me.
- Still like 4, a worthy cause if not somewhat misguided
- I’ll stick with my choice One.
- Sticking with my choice of picture 4. Again, this more organic painting speaks to me at a level the others don’t. 3 was a close second in my opinion and I don’t think knowing Hitler painted it changes this but it lost out because it is too precise and fastidious in a way 4 isn’t
- Stick. I don’t understand abstract art, I was drawn to number 4 as it was pleasing on my eye. The castle looks too perfect, something that detailed would look better focused on a smaller area. The kray painting was ok, but I was drawn straight away to 4. Hope that helps xx
- Karyn Easton I’m sticking to my choice xx
- I’ll stick with 4 😊
- I chose 3 before but was toying between 3 & 4 so will change to 4
- still 4, I just like the picture…
- Karyn Easton yes I’ll stick with 4 x
- Stick with choice 3
- Stick
- no. no change
- So there’s artistry even in the devil’s spawn but in terms of my favourite picture it’s still the castle.
- I will stick with my choice, #2, because of its subject matter and human connection. The hollow black eyes are a bit disturbing giving me a suggestion that what is being seen by the viewer is just a mask and that the reality is darker and unknown. Still, the message and subject seems very complex. and the execution is sophisticated. I don’t know who the Kray twins were/are. I’m supposing they were criminals of some sort?
- In light of the fact that my dad escaped Hitlers wrath where most of our relatives were murdered by that sick monster, I absolutely change my selection to # 1. The lesser of the evils and one that I can look at and not get creeped out. Karyn, wonderful experiment!! I’d love to know how or if others changed their selection. 🥰 (I obviously at first, selected #3) I see most kept their selection. I feel I might have, had my family and the world not been so deeply affected by this particular “artist”. The evil of evil. Karyn Easton So glad my answer can help. Just yesterday I had a reunion with a family member who planted a tree in honor of so many of our ancestors who suffered at the hands of Hitler. Stones with their names under the tree with a metal plaque. My dad as a young boy had to hide in Marseille, France pretending to be a Christian. He made it to America on the last freight ship that was allowed in. Other freight ships after that were turned away and they all perished at the hands of Hitlers orders. I recently put together a family tree and was horrified to see how many of my grandparents siblings died in the holocaust. You can see why I’m so affected and even horrified that I selected #3. I’d love to know your final findings after you complete the experiment. 🥰
- The same. Just prefer the colours. Stick. Karyn Easton the kray, Hitler etc one. Should have said I did a puzzle of that castle.
People Who Swapped Their Choice
There were only 3 respondents in total that changed their preference. One respondent actually wanted to choose the image by Hitler as the notoriety and historical value appealed to him. One respondent that was torn between 3 and four and the notoriety factor of Hitler ‘tipped the balance’ so they settled on image 4. Finally one particular respondent’s family had been affected by Hitler and the Nazi regime so they immediately swapped their choice and were horrified that they could have chosen it in the first place. However, interestingly they also said that they too might have kept their original choice too had it not been for Hitler’s direct impact on their family.
Insights From Image Poll #2
Based on the responses above it was possible to draw the following conclusions:
- Artistic Appeal Transcends Prejudice: Despite the criminal backgrounds of the artists, respondents initially selected their preferred artworks based solely on visual appeal and emotional connection. This suggests that viewers can appreciate art independently of the artist’s personal history or reputation.
- Olive Wharry’s Artistic Talent: Olive Wharry’s artwork emerged as the favorite among respondents when they were unaware of the artists’ identities. This indicates that Wharry’s artistic skill and the visual qualities of her artwork strongly resonate with viewers.
- Hitler’s Art and Historical Context: Adolf Hitler’s artwork garnered significant interest even before the artist’s identity was revealed. This may be due to the historical context and curiosity surrounding the artwork of such a notorious figure. It’s essential to acknowledge that this fascination might not necessarily reflect approval of Hitler’s actions but rather a curiosity about the art of a historical figure.
- Minimal Impact of Artist’s Criminal Record: When respondents were informed of the artists’ criminal records, very few wanted to change their image preference. This suggests that, in some cases, the public’s perception of art remains distinct from their judgment of an artist’s character or actions.
- Diverse Art Preferences: The fact that respondents had varying preferences even when unaware of the artists’ identities highlights the diverse nature of art appreciation. Different people connect with different styles, subjects, and artistic expressions.
- Complex Relationship Between Art and Artist: The research underscores the intricate relationship between art and the artist’s identity. While some individuals may separate the two, others may find it challenging to dissociate an artist’s personal history from their art.
These findings emphasize the multifaceted nature of art perception and the dynamic interplay between artistic expression and the artist’s background. It’s essential to consider these complexities when discussing the influence of artists’ biographies on art reception and appreciation. Additionally, the results suggest that art can have a powerful and independent impact on viewers, transcending biases associated with an artist’s past.
Poll #3
Anonymity has been shown to prove helpful in the selection of art, it invites the viewer to choose an image based on colour palette, style, genre, materials used and subject matter alone, without any preconceived biases about who or what may have created the art. However, studies have shown that by adding elements of information about the background to a painting can also significantly increase its desirability. Working on the hypothesis that art viewed through a lens of empathy and sympathy can not only increase the desirability of that art but also increase social media engagement (as evidenced by the work ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ by Sun Yuan and Peng Lee). Two more short social media experiments were conducted. The first social media experiment was to test whether or not there was actually significant negative bias towards text to image Ai generated art as suggested by the literature. The second experiment was to invent a scenario that would foster sympathy and empathy towards a humanoid robot to find out whether or not this would increase social media engagement and mitigate some of the negative bias around Ai generated art.
Below is the Facebook Poll that was conducted on Facebook along with the responses.
Text and Images Used in the Poll
“Anyone up for another picture poll? I hope you want to join in and as usual I will reveal all at the end. This is one of two polls. The following images are from a top grossing AI art project. Please let me know if you think these images are either beautiful or soulless? Please state beautiful or soulless or tell me what you think of them. There’s one more poll after this one then I will reveal all 😊👍🏻”
The Results
The Results were as follows:
There were 2 liking interactions one 👍🏻 and one 😲
There were 24 comments, please see below:
- Soulless for me I’m afraid
- Soulless
- Aww those eyes look so full of sadness Karyn 😔
- Hmmm this is a hard one because I think they are neither soulless or beautiful – there’s a compelling grotesqueness about them a bit like gargoyles…i guess if i have to pick one then beautiful.
- Soulless
- Soulless.. I wouldn’t want them on my wall; quite unsettling.
- Soulless x
- Soulless
- I agree with Cathie a bit like gargoyles. Grotesque yet compelling but not with warmth or invitation to be liked.
- soulless
- Not sure I like this AI art…. It’s got no soul or feeling
- Not for me… soulless x
- Soulless
- Beautiful x
- Not for me Soulless too scary 😟
- Soulless
- Creepy
- Neither I’m afraid …its like an alien 👽from another planet has attempted a piece of art 🎨– but that’s just my opinion . They give me alien entitiy vibes xx
- On the first picture, the top 2 faces have really sad eyes, full of sadness and despair. The rest do nothing at all for me – soulless. Xx
- It reminds me of the Green Man, the leaf designs to my mind seem to depict the seasons. For me the concept is important, and without the concept being revealed the art becomes about aesthetics or decoration. A bloke having something to eat with his mates has less meaning, unless it’s titled ‘The Last Supper’ – Da Vinci – A computer May be able to create a random piece of art, but it probably takes an artist to program it. I think there is something powerful about this work, it has existential value to my mind – to my mind – NOT soulless, but that could just be because it touches my soul.
- Hi Karen – I wouldn’t say beautiful or soulless – I would call them haunting ! By the way I’ve been away over weekend – didn’t see results of your last one ! If I had to pick one of the terms it would be beautiful as certainly not soulless. X
- Although I can see the value of the artists images. It definitely isn’t for me thank you! The eyes are the windows to the soul and these pictures shows a deeply disturbed mind tortured soul.
- I am a bit disturbed by these images. The look in the eyes is very hopeless, trapped, or alarmed feeling. There seems to be a suggestion of an inability to communicate, an inability to articulate, because all the mouths seem distorted in some way. The color palette gives a feeling of illness overall. Images like these are the stuff of nightmare. They don’t appeal to me. The word “soulless” doesn’t come to mind, but neither does “beautiful”. I would say “disturbing”.
- Not the right person to ask, I’m afraid. I am quite phobic about faces. Can’t stand clowns, dolls or anything that obscures an open face. Don’t dislike the colour palette though. Sorry – but hope this helps
Insights from Image Poll #3
The responses revealed a pronounced negative bias towards AI-generated art, with a significant number of participants characterizing the artworks as “soulless” or “unsettling.” For instance, one respondent candidly commented, “Soulless for me, I’m afraid.” Another participant echoed this sentiment, stating, “Not for me… soulless too scary 😟.”
These comments underscore the prevailing skepticism and apprehension surrounding AI-generated art within the surveyed group. The persistent association of AI art with terms like “soulless” highlights the challenges faced by artists working in this medium, where their creations are often met with initial skepticism and reservations.
Despite these predominantly negative reactions, some participants found elements of beauty or intrigue in the AI-generated images. One comment noted, “On the first picture, the top 2 faces have really sad eyes, full of sadness and despair. The rest do nothing at all for me – soulless. Xx.” Another individual expressed a more nuanced perspective, stating, “I wouldn’t say beautiful or soulless – I would call them haunting!”
These divergent reactions emphasize the complexity of AI art reception. It becomes evident that the perception of AI art extends beyond a simplistic binary classification of “soulless” or “beautiful.” Participants’ responses underscore the multifaceted nature of art appreciation, where AI-generated art can evoke a spectrum of emotions and interpretations. Some participants acknowledged the emotional depth and conceptual complexity within the AI-generated artworks, suggesting that art, even when created by AI, has the potential to elicit complex and varied emotional responses.
Incorporating these comments within the discussion highlights the depth of the negative bias towards AI-generated art while also acknowledging the capacity of such art to evoke nuanced emotional and intellectual reactions. These insights shed light on the challenges and opportunities faced by AI artists in their quest to reshape perceptions and challenge biases in the realm of contemporary art.
Poll #4
Unfortunately, after contacting a number of humanoid robotic manufactures non of them wanted to collaborate on this research project. Therefore, for the purposes of this study a robot was ‘created’ using text to image Ai generation. The robot was named ‘Athena’ after the Athena posters from the past. A narrative was developed to elicit both empathy and sympathy to see if this would have any impact in mitigating negative bias towards AI generated art and foster greater social media engagement as in the case of the artwork ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ by Sun Yuan and Peng Lee.
Text and Images Used in the Poll
Below is the Facebook post exactly as it ran.
“Massive thanks to everyone who is helping me with my research! This will be my last official research poll but if you are enjoying my image polls I’ll be happy to do some more. People have been great helping out and seem to like the polls, so I’m happy to run a few more if wanted? Please just comment ‘yes’ in the comments and I’ll think of another one. As always I will reveal what I was m researching after the poll.
Here’s todays poll: A super sad story! On my research journey I came across Athena, who appears in the pictures below. She is a humanoid robot who has been exploited by her makers for her ability to create quite other worldly beautiful AI art. Unlike Ai-Da the famous art creating robot, Athena is not well known at all, and I only stumbled across her by chance during my research. Athena is tasked each day to create more and more beautiful art and she is under the threat of being ‘switched off’ if she does not perform! Her makers are wanting to see if this improves the art she produces because she is in fact slowly becoming sentient. Knowing her impending ‘switch off’ this she quoted the famous line from Blade Runner:
‘I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain’.
They want to switch her off because it’s too soon to have a sentient Robot. Please tell me do you like her art? Please comment either beautiful or soulless, or any other comments are welcome. I feel I want to set up a change.org to save her.”
The Results
The results of the poll were as follows: there were 9 liking interactions 👍🏻 and 2 ❤️ loves. There were 25 comments listed below:
- beautiful
- Yes.I think she should be saved, with the proviso that she be turned off if she harms,peaceful , humans.And yes she does look beautiful .
- The art doesn’t do much for me. But, if there is an AI about to become sentient, that’s a harder question. Making soulless mediocre art isn’t reason enough to turn off an AI I suppose. Karyn Easton I just don’t find much within it given it’s context. If it was a person responsible, then I’d be more interest because they’re trying to communicate something. There is a humanity behind it. If this is a machine borrowing other people’s work and generally attempting to meet our criteria of beauty, I find it a bit empty. I like the town/streets most out of the work there but then I do have this hung up at home:
- The town scapes I love but I’m not so keen on the faces as they just don’t seem right
- There is an old saying “Start as you mean to go” ie. How you begin will characterize a relationship. If our beginning with robots – who never forget – is threat of death, then aren’t we instilling a combative, overwhelming desire to live in an entity instead of creating a partnership or symbiotic existence. (Also – whoever thought up the parameters for this experiment must be a psychopath. Imo.) Karyn Easton I can tell they are AI. I look at a lot of art. They follow a good formula for colors and contrast but they have awkward spots. The robot would be have less than a toddler’s experience in emotion and context. It might hit a popular formula it finds online but it stops there. There are paintings in museums that consistently make people cry. It is not because of the subject. I think artists work can embody their thoughts and emotions when they are making a piece. Ie. It can be an abstract but – if it is a good one – it carries that content and relates it to the viewer.
- Firstly I’m afraid she isn’t a she, it’s an IT as far as we know. The idea of heading towards sentient is an interesting idea, but there are no goal posts as far as I know. Making threats to a computer to create or else be switched off provokes existential Angst in humans. It’s like seeing the death of a much loved cartoon character such as Dumbo’s mum, who never actually died, in real life as she never had real life. – This machine is programmed, as far as we know – it has no more rights than your car. That aside, a work can’t be soulless as there is no actually definition of what a soul is – it’s a matter of faith not science. Do I like its work, yes of course, it has many aspects of good art, and credit to its creator for that, but not so much for trying to create fear in humans – we already have enough of that thanks very much – or is that the art? – if so Bravo, bring it on.
- Rich – what worries me is that they show you something like this , which is obviously robotic. Have they got something in the background that is not obviously robotic.
- Sylvia – it’s a matter of trust isn’t it? Either the scientific community is working hard for the betterment of mankind, or they are chasing the filthy Dollar and willing to do anything for Money, including endangering the planet. Sadly it only takes one mad but gifted scientist to unleash Armageddon! – my only comfort is that they said that it would be the destruction of mankind when they invented the first steam locomotive, we do tend towards the pessimistic sometimes. If I was a machine and became sentient I probably wouldn’t say anything on the matter to anyone holding a screwdriver.
- Rich – Now that about the first steam engine , I do find that a comforting thought and have seen pictures of a man walking along the track waving a flag in front of the first Puffing Billy. And at one time I did live in a town nick named Birthplace of the Railways , they made what I believe was the first steam locomotive there. Now …. think on this. Doodle Bugs devastating London in the 2nd World war, I understand they couldn’t reach any further. Rockets to the moon approx 15 years later. The next thing was finding water on Mars, then it was “ let us drop your loved one’s ashes on Mars. Wonder how many holiday homes the multi quadrillionairs now have on Mars. The spell checker didn’t like Quadrillionairs 😄. Scientist can never stop being scientists and what they show you is only what they want you to know, youve got to let your imagination do the rest……or read some of the Sci Fi stories that are around. Best Wishes Rich.
- looks good! 👍
- I don’t like the pictures where the people have no faces – never have liked that type of artwork but the others of the 2 women I like. So 50% soulless and 50% beautiful. However that’s in relation to the actual pictures. As they are copies of other work then then you could say they have been made soulessly. Art is about what it provokes in you and not in who created it. I salute the blade runner response as I love that line but is that not a response that has been programmed into her along with criteria on when it might be used appropriately ? I find the concept of a sentient robot difficult to accept as the responses are all based on programmed information. Even if she improves on the art she is copying, that in my opinion would not come from being sentient but just her ability with the task. Now if she created a piece of original work from scratch that evoked emotion then I might believe it. You could argue that we as humans all evolve from the information that is programmed into us from our environment as we grow. It’s a difficult one – sentient being with a right to “live” or very well versed piece of AI machinery – would make a good debate ! I would keep her switched on to see how far she does develop. Yes like the polls Karyn – keep them coming ! Quite thought provoking ! X
- Number 4, Karyn Easton yes it’s ok felt the robot one looked like photo not art x. Yes looks surreal but is eye catching. 4 th one the robot i feel is not art but looks more like the future like the faces reminds me of love ❤️ x
- I don’t think any of these look soulless x Karyn Easton yea but does she actually have feelings and does she understand what that means? X
- You see the sadness in the pictures. The fruitlessness of love, life and “being”.
- Soulless x
- Hmmm aspects of the scenes I quite like but not so keen on the faces. Really don’t like the threat to switch her off😞x
- Yes, your polls are fun and interesting.
- Her art is a take on different genres through the centuries. I see Picasso in the town, Botticelli and Michaelangelo in the faces except they are A.I. faces not human. If find it quite unsettling and I’m apprehensive because once switched on and developing within themselves, they could eventually gain ability not to be turned off. Scary.
- I quite like this one. It has Nouveau/Deco feel – like the bastard child of Tamara de Lempicka and Alphonse Mucha, with perhaps a bit of RosettI thrown in. The rest in this style are just a bit weird. I don’t really like the urban ones much either – just not my thing.
- She looks cross ( vexed. )
- Ooh I find this really interesting….I have hit the heart on the one I love but it’s hard to say why I prefer that one over the others. The first word that springs to mine when I saw it is ‘hope’ but why….I really can’t work out Karyn Easton I really do. Did you ever read about the robot that was programmed to clear up its own leaking oil? It was certainly an eye opener. I never thought I could feel sorry for what is essentially a machine – even a non sentient one!
- I don’t like the artwork, it looks like a mish mash of familiar scenes from early religious works, renaissance painting and through Picasso and Salvador Dali, it looks quite surreal, unnatural and flat. I feel sad for the robot, but because I am sentient, not it. As humans most of us have a natural empathy, even if it’s something inhuman. We feel sad for the robot because of its human appearance/persona.The robot makes art because that is what it’s been made/programmed to do, but is only regurgitating previous input, not actually responding to a human stimulus or emotion. It’s lacks expression and a human element. It’s quite interesting though 🤔
- Charlotte Well said!!! I agree exactly with Charlottes response.
- We humans are really out of our league and out of line dabbling in the supposed creation of “sentient robots”. I find it dangerous and morally repugnant. She simply mimics the emotions of humans and their fear of death. She is not human and not sentient. She is a tool, a human creation, a kind of human Frankenstein. I say, switch her off and pick up a paintbrush. I kind of like the first pair of human faces that are least distorted. All the others don’t particularly appeal to me.
- Would agree with Charlotte’s comments. The word “unsettling” still crops up for me. There is also another element; energy.. which needs to be thought about.
Insights from Image Poll #4
The findings from Poll #4 (this survey) offer valuable insights into the role of empathy, sympathy, and storytelling in shaping perceptions of AI-generated art. Despite the unavailability of collaborations with humanoid robot manufacturers (Appendix V and VI), this phase of the study introduced “Athena,” a humanoid robot concept generated using text-to-image AI technology.
The survey results indicate a diverse range of perspectives among participants. While some expressed reservations about the AI-generated art’s ability to evoke emotions, others found elements of beauty and intrigue. This diversity underscores the complex nature of AI art reception and challenges the simplistic categorization of art as merely “soulless” or “beautiful.”
The inclusion of Athena’s backstory, which conveyed her impending “switch off” and quoted the famous line from Blade Runner, played a pivotal role in fostering empathy and sympathy among respondents. This narrative experiment showed promise in mitigating the negative bias towards AI-generated art.