AI Ethics Left Hanging When AI Wins Art Contest And Human Artists Are Fuming

Where will we draw the line between human-generated art and AI-generated art? If so, should we bestow the acclaimed title of artisan upon said AI? Let's unpack things and see where the world stands on these mind-bending concerns. A crucial undercurrent has to do with AI Ethics and how we as a society perceive and want to make use of AI. For my ongoing and extensive coverage of AI Ethics and Ethical AI, see the link here and the link here, just to name a few. News stories this past few days have made AI and art an extremely hot topic. You see, the whole conundrum about Artificial Intelligence and art was recently thrust into the public eye when an AI "artbot" seemingly won an art contest. The headlines regarding this matter have ranged from fervent outrage to a sense of sorrowful acquiescence that it was only a matter of time before AI would prevail in the creative field of artistry. Some even claim that we've already seen AI comeuppance in art and that there is nothing new in this latest occurrence other than it managed to touch a nerve on social media. Amid all the heated debate in general, there are a lot of facts about this latest incident that muddy the waters and tend to undercut the shallow headlines and vitriolic tweets that the story has generated. It might be useful to take a moment and calmly consider the actual specifics, which I will be doing throughout this discussion. Meanwhile, one perhaps beneficial outcome of the reported story is that AI Ethics managed to suddenly get some long overdue recognition in the media at large. Whenever an AI-themed man-bites-dog story hits the airwaves and goes viral on social media, public opinions start to weigh in. We will examine the various qualms and complaints expressed in the public discourse about this brewing AI Ethics riddle. First, let's lay out the facts of the deemed newsworthy snowball that ultimately started a cantankerous snowfall avalanche. The Colorado State Fair is where the competition in this case took place. The Fair is an annual event that has a hearty 150-year-old tradition initially focused on livestock. An eventual expansion of activities included the inclusion of a fine arts contest.