I ASKED AN AI TO PAINT 100 FANTASY LANDSCAPES
HERES WHAT HAPPEND
Better than humans? You decide.
Artificial intelligence is getting good at making art. Like, real good. Most people don’t realize that it’s already significantly better than humans in most respects.
Of course, you probably don’t believe me.
But that’s the thing about AI — it has a funny way of being in your rear view mirror one minute, and then zooming by a hundred million kilometers the next.
I run an artificial intelligence painting startup, and as a demonstration, I asked our resident GPU-turned-artist to generate one hundred fantasy landscapes of far-off worlds. The results are rather incredible.
A cinematic, colorful landscape (oil painting)
Mind-blowing textures. I prompted this with several variations of the word ‘oil texture’, ‘oil painting’, and so on until I arrived at the visibly beautiful & vibrant result you see before you.
A fantasy desert during sunset
This gives me harsh Red Dead Redemption vibes. I love the cloud textures and the spiry figures off in the distance (communication towers?)
Dark, foreboding mountains overlooking a green pasture
AI can get realistic, too. I almost thought this was a picture at first glance.
A lush, verdant forest peering through to a fantasy world
My favorite out of this batch, simply because of the intense stylistic flavor. The colors are sublime.
Moody, hallowing hills overlooking a forest (in pencil)
Different variations of the term ‘chalk’, ‘charcoal’, and ‘pencil’ yield dark, moody generations.
A mid-day desert fantasy landscape with mountains
Makes me feel right at home in Westworld. The saturation and cinematic blues are reminiscent of a major Hollywood film.
It’s pretty clear at this point that artificial intelligence is here to stay. Rather than fight it, it’s well worth learning how to utilize it effectively and come up with novel ways to integrate it into your livelihood. I did, and its had a beneficial effect on my life.
The next thirty to forty years will likely see tumultuous change. AI is set to revolutionize many consumer industries related to art & media. Like any revolution, though, such changes often come at the expense of real human beings. I remain convinced that it will ultimately be for the better, but I am also confident that the intervening period will bring with it much strife.
Are you ready? What do you think? Is AI better than human quality in 2022? Share your thoughts below.
