The AI Photography Revolution: A Glimpse into Our Digitized Future
“Why, in a span of just 18 months, has AI accomplished what took human photographers a century and a half?” It’s a staggering question, isn’t it?
A Historic Milestone in Imagery
According to a recent report by AI Image Statistics, AI has astonishingly created as many images in a mere year as human photographers crafted over 150 years. Specifically, from 1826 to 1975, humans snapped a whopping 15 billion photos. Yet, in contrast, AI, with its rapidly advancing capabilities, has churned out the same number in just the blink of an eye – a year and a half.
“But what does this mean for the age-old craft of photography?” you might ask.
Dominating the AI Art Generation
Delving into the specifics, AI Image Statistics report unveils that Stable Diffusion reigns supreme among AI art generators. Representing nearly 80% of the AI-created images online, this tool and its affiliated platforms have crafted a staggering 12.59 billion images. Hot on its heels, Adobe Firefly, Adobe Photoshop’s AI brainchild, produced 1 billion images in a mere three months, positioning itself as the fastest-growing AI art generator.
“Could OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 be the dark horse in this race?” After all, it’s generating a robust 34 million images daily. If AI Image Statistics assumptions are correct, this translates to approximately 916 million images in just 15 months.
The Digital Deluge: AI’s Growing Dominance
The proliferation of AI-generated images is undeniable. But, at what cost? Recent controversies have arisen, highlighting AI’s penchant for “borrowing” from traditional artists. China’s Xiaohongshu, dubbed the ‘Chinese Instagram,’ came under fire for allegedly using artists’ works to fuel its AI model without consent.
Echoing this sentiment, a renowned fantasy artist expressed dismay when his art resurfaced on an open-source AI art generator, post his request to Stable Diffusion to withdraw his works from their AI.
“Is this the new norm or a cause for alarm?”
The Impending AI Tsunami: A Blessing or Curse?
Professor Toby Walsh, the esteemed Chief Scientist at the UNSW AI Institute, raises a red flag. In his words: “AI-generated content is becoming ubiquitous, paving the way for lucrative business opportunities in myriad domains such as graphic design and video games. However, it’s a double-edged sword. The ramifications it poses for the job market, especially for roles in Hollywood, graphic design, and the like, are profound.”
He poignantly adds, “We might reminisce about this era as the golden age of the internet before it became inundated with almost entirely synthetic content.”
So, the crux is this: “In our relentless pursuit of AI excellence, are we inadvertently setting the stage for an internet awash with AI’s synthetic creations, eclipsing human ingenuity?” Only time will tell.
“AI is not our enemy, but our ally. But like all alliances, boundaries must be set, and ethics strictly adhered to.”
Would you prefer an internet landscape where genuine human creativity thrives alongside AI, or one dominated by the latter? The choice, dear reader, might soon be upon us