ART-ificial Intelligence

When news came out this week about AI-generated songs by dead folks, it grabbed my attention. If you have yet to hear it, check out the AI musical project, Magenta. Google AI, analyzed 30 of each 27 club artists' songs as MIDI files to create the new hits. They made a "new" Nirvana-style song that was written and recorded by computers. The vocals are the work of Nirvana tribute band frontman Eric Hogan, but ALL the music is AI-created. The project is a way to bring attention to musicians living with depression and the many we've lost. The Amy Winehouse song is particularly amazing to me.

Jeez. Remember when using Autotune in a song was somehow cheating? We used to value the rawness and imperfections in a voice so much more. And now, I'm sure no major pop musician dares not use Autotune. Think how Napster almost killed not only record labels but also musician sales. But because of Napster, we now have Spotify, and music and media subscriptions are the norm.

AI ART

Google engineer Alexander Mordivintsev created the astonishing DeepDream. It's a computer vision program that uses convolutional neural networks to find and enhance patterns in images. Through algorithmic pareidolia, it creates dream-like hallucinogenic imagery. The Gate to A Deep Dream. This AI Art Gallery uses Generative Adversarial Networks to create art for sale online at ArtAIGallery.com.

"I want people to know that our times are powerful times."

~ Ai-Da (the first robot to have a solo painting exhibition)

Keepin' It Real

It's hard to know what to make of all these technologies. How will they disrupt, bankrupt, or otherwise influence our world? But lately, I've enjoyed returning to basics and making pencil portraits on paper.

You can see one I did of my stepdad Robin below for his 80th birthday.

There is something so moving for me about capturing the likeness of someone in a portrait. And there is no AI Art robot that can say the same. Yet.

- Kim