History of AI Generated Art
We currently live in a day and age where artificial intelligence is capable of designing a magazine cover, composing a banger of a song, and creating art that gets sold for $432,500. The AI art movement is coming fast and strong, igniting awe as well as concern.
Artificial intelligence has transcended its role as a mere technological tool and emerged as a creative force that influences various aspects of our lives, including the world of art. The evolution of AI-generated art is a captivating story of innovation, experimentation, and boundary-pushing.
But when did all of this start? Here’s the intriguing history of AI-generated art, its origins, milestones, and the impact it has had on the art world.
AI-generated art
Early Beginnings
Using computers to create art isn’t actually new — the roots of AI-generated art can be traced back to the mid-20th century when computers were first emerging as powerful machines. In 1953 Ben F. Laposky showcased the abstract art he created using wave generators and electronic circuits. His exhibition “Oscillons” may be the first time computer graphics entered the art scene, and Oscillon 40 (see below) is considered the earliest digital artwork in the Victoria and Albert Museum collection.
Computer generated art: Oscillon 40 by Ben F. Laposky, 1952.
A notable pioneer in this field was AARON, a computer program created by Harold Cohen in the 1970s. AARON demonstrated an early form of creativity by generating intricate drawings using a set of rules and heuristics. This marked the dawn of AI's creative potential.
Emergence of Neural Networks
The late 20th century saw a resurgence of interest in AI-generated art with the development of neural networks. Artists and researchers began exploring the possibilities of using these networks to create visual and auditory content. Notably, the work of Karl Sims in the 1990s showcased the ability of AI to simulate natural evolution to generate striking images and animations.
Aesthetic Style Transfer
The breakthrough in deep learning and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in the 2010s ushered in a new era of AI-generated art. Researchers began experimenting with style transfer techniques, enabling AI to apply the artistic style of one image to another. This led to the creation of mesmerizing artworks that merged the aesthetics of different artists and eras.
AI art created using DeepDream: Alexander Mordvintsev’s take on Van Gogh’s Starry Night, 2015
The Rise of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)
One of the most significant milestones in AI-generated art was the advent of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). Developed by Ian Goodfellow and his colleagues in 2014, GANs introduced a novel approach where two neural networks, the generator and the discriminator, competed against each other. This technique produced astonishingly realistic and imaginative artworks, blurring the line between human and AI creativity.
In 2015, Google engineer Alexander Mordvintsev developed DeepDream, a computer program that could create complex AI images using neural networks. A neural network is a type of machine learning process where the computer is trained to process data just like humans do. Mordvintsev discovered that he can reverse-engineer the software that’s designed to detect faces and other patterns in images and train it to create images based on input.
AI art created using DeepDream: adam_3a_to_5a by Kyle McDonald, 2015
AI art captures global attention
The mid-2010s saw a surge in AI-generated art projects that captured global attention. Notably, "The Next Rembrandt" project used AI to analyze the Dutch master's style and generate an entirely new artwork that could have been painted by Rembrandt himself. Similarly, Google's DeepDream produced surreal and dreamlike images by enhancing patterns in existing pictures.
Since 2018 when the AI-generated portrait called “Edmond de Belamy” was sold for $432,500 at Christie’s, AI art started to receive more public interest as well as broader media coverage.
Generative Adversarial Network print on canvas: Edmond de Belamy, from La Famille de Belamy, published by Obvious Art, 2018.
As these neural networks got smarter, the images AI programs created got better — to a point that an AI-generated photograph recently won an award. The photographer admitted and turned it down, but the point was made.
AI in the Hands of Artists
AI-generated art gradually found its way into the hands of talented digital artists, enabling them to explore new realms of creativity. These artists embraced AI as a tool to enhance their artistic expression, and their innovative works demonstrated the collaborative potential of human-AI creativity.
Concerns around AI-generated Art
As AI-generated art gained prominence, it raised profound questions about authorship, originality, and the role of the artist. The dialogue surrounding AI-generated art's place in the art world and society at large prompted critical discussions about the nature of creativity and the impact of technology on artistic traditions.
What is AI generated art?
What is artificial intelligence art? AI art refers to art generated with the assistance of algorithms, machine learning systems, and autonomous robots.
The history of AI-generated art is a captivating journey that reflects the intersection of technology and human imagination. From early experiments with rudimentary algorithms to the sophisticated creations of neural networks and GANs, AI-generated art has evolved into a dynamic and influential force. As AI continues to evolve, we can only anticipate that the realm of creative possibilities will expand, challenging our perceptions of art and pushing the boundaries of human expression.
Read next:
An Introduction to AI-generated Art
Can you make money by selling AI-generated images?
Can you sell AI-generated art?
10 Digital Artists: Human meets AI to expand creativity
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