A Human Interest Story

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Hello. This is a special, unscheduled auxiliary Gene Pool based upon an inquiry from a reader. Alert: It’s related to Artificial Intelligence, a subject about which you might be getting tired. Caveat: You’re going to like this.

It started with this emailed inquiry:

Q: So, Gene, inasmuch as you are ambivalent to AI-created imagery, how are you with AI-created writing? It's getting better every day. And just like eliminating very good illustrators, which it already has, it will eliminate some good writers as well. You can only write and draw for so long until you are out of money.

Regards,

Trevor Stone Irvin. (A human who can fuckin’ draw.)

Me: Point taken. And indeed, you can fuckin’ draw. I had never heard of you, but looked up your work. You are a world-class illustrator. That’s your cartoon, above, right? Kamala and Trump?

Trevor: Yes.

Me: May I use it here, free of charge?

Trevor: Apparently, yes.

Me: Okay. Can I use this one, too?

Trevor: Sigh.

Me: So, uh. How’s business? Does it boom for you?

Trevor: Well, it used to.

Me: Ah. The subject at hand.

Trevor: I’m 69. I’ve made a living at this since I was 20. I’ve created artwork for three Olympics, one Paralympics and for a thousand other clients. Thousands see the Safety cards I created for Delta Airlines every day. I was the first to put together an all pictogram (no language) safety card which has now been copied by almost every other airline.

Me: What???

Trevor: Yeah, here:

But the illustration market has pretty much collapsed. Not just because of AI — magazines use clip art now that can be purchased for pennies.

I was lucky in that my career spanned from doing everything traditionally … to the computer. I was able to make a living illustrating both for commercial clients as well as individuals. I don’t think artists coming out of school now will be able to do that. AI is even beginning to create videos now so film makers and animators will be affected. I will keep drawing and writing until I lose my faculties or die … It’s been a great way to make a living.

Me: So, you mostly do cartoons?

Trevor: This is Coltrane:

Me: Gotcha.

Trevor: Want to see Kellyanne?

Me: No.

Trevor:

Me: Okay, fine.

Me: Dude, you are good. Where’d you come from?

Trevor: I was born in Boulder, Colorado to a physicist and an English major. Moved to Berkley Heights N.J. at age 4 until age 18. Caused a lot of trouble in several educational systems as “Trevor does not work to his potential, Trevor wastes time doodling in the margins, and Trevor has a bad attitude.” My mother tried valiantly to appease them, and prevent my expulsion, by telling them, “Trevor is an acquired taste.” What they all failed to note was, I was doodling myself a future career.

I’ve worked for big and small clients. Coca Cola, IBM, Delta Airlines, all the ad agencies, 3 Olympic games — Lake Placid, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. I’ve storyboarded a thousand commercials and some movie stuff. I’ve sculpted the Georgia State Congressional Seals (not the state seal) that hang in the capitol. I’ve created murals. I created the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic mascot, which made them a ton of money and beat the ever-livin’-hell outa “Whatzit,” Atlanta’s Olympic mascot disaster. I worked for most all the Paralympic sponsors and created all the art that their title vendor sold. That made them a lot of money and they in turn made me a bunch of money.

Me: And now?

Trevor: Now, AI.

Look, most of the AI you see is not the best AI out there. There are some very, very good AI images made by the best AI generators – Mid Journey being one of them. I’ve seen AI work that is simply stunning and as good as many really good artists. But yes, most of it is ho hum.

AI is in its infancy. What it will do in the future will be impressive at the very least, maybe even brilliant.

Most people can’t tell good AI from bad AI. Most people don’t know that they are looking at AI. AI is currently fairly obvious to us professionals, but most don’t know and don’t care — which was reflected in the poll you took in your post.

Most people don’t give a shit whether illustrators are losing their jobs. Cheaper and faster almost always wins. It doesn’t even have to be better. Most people have a pretty low bar when it comes to art.

Yes, other technology has eliminated jobs – line engravers were dead overnight when the halftone was invented. But there has never been a technology that has eliminated jobs across thousands of industries. Most technological innovations in the past have impacted a specific type of job or industry, not all of them.

Your examples of Duchamp and Warhol are not great examples – their fame was gained by marketing, not the brilliance of their artwork… a banana duct taped to a wall just sold for millions. They’re in the same boat. (Yes, art critics will disagree with me on this, but I don’t gives a shit what a critic thinks – I do art, they don’t.)

Is it a betrayal to professional artists to use AI to create an image? No. It sucks, it will take your job, but it isn’t a betrayal, it’s life.

Does it matter what artists think about AI? No, it doesn’t. It will happen whether we like it or not.

Should Substack writers use AI to illustrate their writing? It would be nice if they wouldn’t. But they will. The writers all think that their work is worthy enough to be paid for, just as the artist wishes you would pay for their work. It would be nice if the writers wouldn’t rationalize that they are doing something worthy; they are just being cheap.

Is AI stealing others’ work to make new artwork? No, not really. AI “looks” at millions of pieces of art to teach itself, the same way I looked at thousands upon thousands of other artists’ work to learn my craft. An artist looks, studies, experiments, and even copies other artwork to inspire and learn, then finally gets good enough to create something original. AI is pretty much doing the same thing just faster and better than most can do it traditionally. AI produces originals, not copies, whether you like it or not.

Ultimately none of this matters, AI is here and it will be used. It will cause some serious pain. It will also create some marvelous advances.

Writers will lose jobs as well. News summaries once written by humans are being written by AI now.

And for all you know, I am an AI, engaging you.

Me: Nope. Of that, I am sure.

Trevor: Good.

Me: Hey, Trev? Can I also use this one?

Trevor: With my compliments.

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Finally, today’s Gene Pool Gene Poll. Mercifully, it is AI-free.

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See you on the Weekend.

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