As a small business owner, I try to stay away from mixing my business with controversial topics like politics and religion. I think those are important things to discuss in smaller, face-to-face settings where clear communication is crucial. It’s so easy to cower behind a computer screen and blast nasty-grams to whoever disagrees with you online, so I choose to avoid the trolls altogether and keep deep conversations in the physical realm. But there’s one topic I can’t avoid any longer, and that’s the topic of AI.

I’ve been doing a lot of market research lately in preparation for the holidays, and I’ve come across countless Etsy shops selling art prints that are so clearly created by AI, and it makes my heart hurt. A lot of these shops aren’t advertising that their products are computer-generated, which should be illegal, if you ask me. But a lot of them are advertising it in the description of their products, which I appreciate because at least they’re not ashamed. But I still think it’s wrong. I posted something about this in my stories last week and consequently had some really thoughtful, peaceful conversations with a few of you about the topic. Some of you challenged me with super interesting questions that really made me stop and think about whether using AI to make “art” is ethical. After a lot of careful consideration, I still land on the same answer, and I’m not budging.

No.

No matter what, no questions asked, no ifs, ands, or buts - if a person uses AI in ANY way to create something that is to be sold as art, IT’S NOT ART! (do the caps tell you I’m heated? Cuz I am). You can imagine the most beautiful piece of art in the world. You can describe it in writing in the most incredible, most detailed, most breathtaking way. But if you then go and pop that description into a computer and, with the simple click of a button, tell it to create an image based on what you wrote so you can go sell it online, that image is not yours, it’s certainly not art, and it’s tarnishing everything that makes an artist an artist.

AI-generated image vs. my work-in-progress watercolor painting. Both beautiful, but only one is art. Tell me I’m wrong.

Art, by definition, is “the expression or application of human creative skill.” The key word there, in case it’s not obvious, is human. HUMAN. Humans make art. Humans use their hands to paint strokes across a canvas. Humans use their voices to sing, their bodies to dance, their words to write, their God-given skills to create something moving, something beautiful, something that connects us to something bigger than ourselves.

I’m sorry, but computers can’t do that. I know they’re smart and intelligent and can do some really amazing things and blah, blah, blah. I’m not anti-AI. I think it’s neat and will do a lot of good if we learn how to use it appropriately. But when we start using it to diminish the very meaning of art, to take advantage of all the real artists out there, to deceive buyers who genuinely care about purchasing authentic, handmade art — well — that scares me. That scares me a lot.

I say all this to caution you as we head into a buying season. With the holidays coming up, you might find yourself shopping small and supporting artists like me, which I sincerely appreciate and love you for. Supporting small businesses is so important! But I would encourage you to do your research on the company and the product before you click that purchase button. Don’t get caught buying a computer-generated picture when there are thousands of humans out there who create art with their heart, mind, and soul.

Thank you for reading my rant. Don’t hear what I’m not saying.

Much love,

Shelby