3 answers
Rhema
Student
Long Beach, California
2
Questions
Updated
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What is the best way to start and develop an art business while remaining authentic with AI rising, and how do we navigate AI without it replacing our ability to be independent in our creativity?
Hi, I'm Rae. I'll continue my sophomore year of college in the fall of 2026. I've recently taken a gap semester, and I've been thinking about ways to develop a small business using my art skills. Additionally, with the use of AI being included in a variety of businesses, I've been wondering how to navigate AI without becoming heavily reliant on it. With AI art, it leads me to question what role it will have in the art world and how it will affect the upcoming generation of artists.
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3 answers
Jing Wang
Business Support
49
Answers
Dalian, Liaoning, China
Updated
Jing’s Answer
Hi Rae,
Thank you for raising question here, that's a good questions. All of us might be facing some confusion today and ask similar question during the times of AI.
The advantage of AI art is quite obvious, faster, lower cost, more efficiency, can create fantastic picture which hard for humans to draw, but there are still some areas we can focus on to keep human values. AI has no life experience or inner feeling, as artist, you can put emotions, feeling and thoughts into your works, everyone for sure has different aesthetics, feeling, attitude although experiencing same because of different worldview, this is AI can never copy. Then treat AI as tool but not main creator, keep your basic drawing skills and unique personal artistic style, build your own brand, show your own artist's thoughts. Human thinking is the core value.
From art business view, humanistic art which AI cannot replace might be a good development orientation. Avoid selling totally AI-generated artworks. Keep your own creative ability with AI's support as a tool to improve business efficiency might be a good model.
Good luck
Thank you for raising question here, that's a good questions. All of us might be facing some confusion today and ask similar question during the times of AI.
The advantage of AI art is quite obvious, faster, lower cost, more efficiency, can create fantastic picture which hard for humans to draw, but there are still some areas we can focus on to keep human values. AI has no life experience or inner feeling, as artist, you can put emotions, feeling and thoughts into your works, everyone for sure has different aesthetics, feeling, attitude although experiencing same because of different worldview, this is AI can never copy. Then treat AI as tool but not main creator, keep your basic drawing skills and unique personal artistic style, build your own brand, show your own artist's thoughts. Human thinking is the core value.
From art business view, humanistic art which AI cannot replace might be a good development orientation. Avoid selling totally AI-generated artworks. Keep your own creative ability with AI's support as a tool to improve business efficiency might be a good model.
Good luck
Kim Matthews
Graphic Production Designer and Sculptor
135
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hi Rae,
You're asking some pretty broad questions, so it's a bit tricky to answer them but I'll give it a go.
While ChatGPT is being promoted as a cost cutter and efficiency tool for businesses, depending on the type and scale of art business you're talking about, you might not have to deal with it at all. But if you're thinking about contract or staff roles, there's a good chance a potential employer or client will want you to be AI literate--at least that's what I'm seeing in the marketplace.
Authenticity and integrity go hand in hand. They're less about which tools you use and more about how you conduct yourself as a professional and as a human being. Commercial artists--and, later, painters and other studio artists--have relied on various tools since the profession emerged. While some people think that using drafting aids (French curves, compass, triangles, etc.) or photographic references make you a "cheat" or a "sellout," for instance, they don't make an artist "less than." On the other hand, plagiarism is not okay. And as Jing notes above, AI can't take the place of the human hand and the soul that one sees in human-made works.
Ultimately it's up to you to determine how you want to use emerging technologies, but I think you're on the right track just for asking these questions. As for where this is all going, I don't know and I don't know if anyone else does either. The changes are so extreme and happening so quickly, it's hard to say. Long ago someone told me that some psychologists in the 1970s asserted that the more high tech a culture becomes, the more "high touch" it will become, and I've been hanging onto that notion ever since. Making is a fundamentally human pursuit, and there will always be people who must make and people who feel enriched by those things--whether they're paintings, hand-knit wool hats, songs, or comics.
Hope this is helpful. Wishing you the best in all your creative pursuits.
You're asking some pretty broad questions, so it's a bit tricky to answer them but I'll give it a go.
While ChatGPT is being promoted as a cost cutter and efficiency tool for businesses, depending on the type and scale of art business you're talking about, you might not have to deal with it at all. But if you're thinking about contract or staff roles, there's a good chance a potential employer or client will want you to be AI literate--at least that's what I'm seeing in the marketplace.
Authenticity and integrity go hand in hand. They're less about which tools you use and more about how you conduct yourself as a professional and as a human being. Commercial artists--and, later, painters and other studio artists--have relied on various tools since the profession emerged. While some people think that using drafting aids (French curves, compass, triangles, etc.) or photographic references make you a "cheat" or a "sellout," for instance, they don't make an artist "less than." On the other hand, plagiarism is not okay. And as Jing notes above, AI can't take the place of the human hand and the soul that one sees in human-made works.
Ultimately it's up to you to determine how you want to use emerging technologies, but I think you're on the right track just for asking these questions. As for where this is all going, I don't know and I don't know if anyone else does either. The changes are so extreme and happening so quickly, it's hard to say. Long ago someone told me that some psychologists in the 1970s asserted that the more high tech a culture becomes, the more "high touch" it will become, and I've been hanging onto that notion ever since. Making is a fundamentally human pursuit, and there will always be people who must make and people who feel enriched by those things--whether they're paintings, hand-knit wool hats, songs, or comics.
Hope this is helpful. Wishing you the best in all your creative pursuits.
Crissy Bogusz
Graphic Designer and Motion Graphics Artist
10
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Crissy’s Answer
Hi Rae. Great question, and absolutely well done to you for thinking ahead to the future of this changing world to include Ai and taking time to help shape your career at this age already. I was not even close to this level of maturity at your age!
Which Ai creative skills do you use? I am also a graphic designer and motion graphics artist. I do a lot of Ai projects now. And I use my manual design, motion and video skills while creating these ai projects (it gives the best result and honestly Ai is still very far from perfect, you will need your manual creative skills to make an ai project look good). I primarily use Ai in terms of creating assets, so let's say I'm creating marketing STILLS for a fashion website. These marketing stills will be posted as ads across their social media channels. I still work on the graphic design - the layout, the fonts, the graphics elements, the overall design, but I create their photos in Ai. I will create models and have them wear clothes from this company. The company prefers that, over paying huge amounts for a live shoot - which includes hiring models, live production crew, cameras, pay for a location etc etc. Instead I can create something that looks just as good in a photo. So they are using me rather than creating the production. They would have used me anyway when they needed those photos turned into marketing campaigns but it cuts a huge cost to now just use me for the production and the design.
Which Ai creative skills do you use? I am also a graphic designer and motion graphics artist. I do a lot of Ai projects now. And I use my manual design, motion and video skills while creating these ai projects (it gives the best result and honestly Ai is still very far from perfect, you will need your manual creative skills to make an ai project look good). I primarily use Ai in terms of creating assets, so let's say I'm creating marketing STILLS for a fashion website. These marketing stills will be posted as ads across their social media channels. I still work on the graphic design - the layout, the fonts, the graphics elements, the overall design, but I create their photos in Ai. I will create models and have them wear clothes from this company. The company prefers that, over paying huge amounts for a live shoot - which includes hiring models, live production crew, cameras, pay for a location etc etc. Instead I can create something that looks just as good in a photo. So they are using me rather than creating the production. They would have used me anyway when they needed those photos turned into marketing campaigns but it cuts a huge cost to now just use me for the production and the design.