AI is creating a 'human premium' for art made by people. But will it hold?
Amid a surge in AI content, many are placing extra value on art that's obviously made by a human. But can that last, asks Ros Atkins
In a former bank building now a music venue in Falmouth, Cornwall, the reporter was DJ-ing at an energetic night called Rave Machine. The night was special, unique, and entirely human, something technology couldn't replicate. However, technology has already altered the DJ scene. In the 1990s, DJs manually mixed vinyl records, turntables, and mixers. Now, software can sync beats between tracks, potentially eliminating the need for human DJs.
The reporter pondered whether the presence of technology would make a difference to listeners. Would they care if a DJ was merely pressing play? This question extends to the broader issue of whether people care if a piece of art is created by a human. Deezer's research shows that 44% of tracks uploaded are AI-generated, and 97% of listeners couldn't tell the difference. Yet, over half of those surveyed expressed concern about AI-created art, desiring human involvement.
Daniel Susskind, an economics professor at King's College London, emphasizes the value of the human role in art creation. He explains that art holds significance beyond its beauty; it represents a human hand crafting something extraordinary. This connection to humanity is what makes art truly special. Susskind also draws parallels to a chess match in 1997 when a world champion lost to a computer, Deep Blue.
While there were fears that chess would lose its appeal, it has only grown in popularity, thanks to the human element behind the pieces.
The rise of AI-generated content has sparked discussions about assigning a "human premium" to art created by people. Kyle Chayka, a journalist at The New Yorker, observes that AI writing is often generic and uninspiring, leading readers to value personal and imperfect writing. Similarly, designers are leaning towards uniqueness and creativity to differentiate themselves from AI-generated visuals.
As a result, academics are working on a universally recognized symbol to denote human-made content, similar to the Fairtrade label.
C Thi Nguyen, a philosophy professor at the University of Utah, suggests that our values can be understood by following a "why chain." If something is valued, it's crucial to ask "why" until the true underlying value is revealed. The question then becomes whether human involvement and shared human experiences will continue to hold their place at the end of this chain as technology advances and AI-generated content becomes increasingly prevalent.
Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
