The Urban AI Art work had its premiere today at the University of Oulu.
Artists may not be able to create new art every few seconds with their own brushes, but artificial intelligence can.
Today, the Urban AI Art work had its premiere at the University of Oulu. It is an online artwork that creates a new image every few seconds combining the original works. The interesting thing is that there is an unlimited number of works, which means that all the pictures are unique.
– The work raises questions about, among other things, what art is and what an artist is needed for, Lahtinen states in the press release.
However, Lahtinen does not agree to give an interview to Yle. According to him, artificial intelligence contains its own kind of mysticism and that’s why he also wants to stay in the background.
– In my opinion, this is justified and a good counterpoint to contemporary culture, which perhaps too much favors and emphasizes publicity directed at individuals. A work of art deserves publicity, but the artist doesn’t always need it, nor does he want it in this case, explains Oksanen.
Who is the artist: artificial intelligence or the original creator of the works?
According to Oksanen, the work falls into a current moment, when much is being thought about the importance of artificial intelligence in art and in society in general. Visual artist Lahtinen wants to raise socially relevant questions about copyright and whether the works are made by him or by artificial intelligence.
What is Oksanen’s view on this?
– This is purely my personal opinion. It’s Jussi, because his works are behind everything. Although all the specific works that come from there have been produced by the machine.
Oksanen travels back in time a little to reflect on the history of Western art. He says that during the renaissance, we have developed a strong notion of authorship and that one person is behind artworks. However, this is not the case.
– Artists have always used various aids and technologies in the background. Making art has also been collective, and perhaps artificial intelligence will contribute to breaking down the myth of the artist, in which only one creator would produce something new.
According to Oksanen, the work in question is a new kind and it leaves its own mark on artificial intelligence art. However, according to him, time will show what place such art will have in society.
Lahtinen’s artificial intelligence work was created as part of the project Urban utopias and dystopias: Artificial intelligence in art and society. You can access the work from this link.