Instructors have mixed views on use of AI, especially in visual classes

By Monique Henderson
Staff writer
thehutchinsoncollegian@gmail.com

Artificial Intelligence has been around for many years, and now it’s mingling in artists’ turf. 

Thus, AI is causing some friction in the art industries such as Animation and Graphic Design. But not all views of AI are negative, in fact some people can be encouraging of using AI.

Blair Pauly, a Hutchinson Community College animation instructor; Amber Brawner, a visual communication instructor, and Alexia Morales, a Graphic Arts Technology student at HutchCC.

“It’s OK as long as it is used purely for references and collecting ideas and not the end product at all,” Pauly said. “But I would still say using other real artists for reference and inspiration will always be better and should be the go to.

“I have never used it in the classroom or at home. I will never use it for art or animation of any kind. The only time I would use AI at home would be for writing code and personal robotics projects.”

Pauly doesn’t see AI having a place in art.

“At this point, I don’t think it has changed the industry. Sure, there is work out there that is AI generated but you can always tell due to it looking uncanny, cheap, and poorly done,” Pauly said. “I more so feel for small artists who are having clients taken away from them due to the average person preferring free AI garbage over real artwork.”

Brawner said she thinks there is room for AI.

“I think AI is just another tool in a designer’s toolbox,” Brawner said. “I don’t think AI will steal jobs from graphic designers or artists in general. It will never be 100% accurate and there’s always a need for a designer who knows what they’re doing to properly create the artwork.”

Brawner said AI was great for ideas and brainstorming.

“It can help speed up some of the process but in the end, the designer still has to know how to create the art themselves and knowing the software programs can’t be replaced by AI,” Brawner said.

Morales likewise thought there was room for AI.

“My thoughts on AI, I think it can be a very useful tool when used in the right way,” Morales said. “I think AI can be exploited very easily which is why it has been getting a bad reputation.

“There are too many people using AI to either not pay artists to create artwork. And while, yes, there are more and more companies choosing to just use AI to make their logos or artwork instead of having to pay artists, I don’t think AI could ever steal Graphic Design jobs.  AI can only make new art by piecing existing art someone has already made. while we can create something we have never seen before. And right now it is very easy to tell if Art was made by AI or Human because it makes mistakes that Normal Artists would not make.”

Morales said humans still have AI beat when it comes to thought.

“Nothing could ever beat the human brain and what new and exciting ideas it creates everyday,” Morales said.  So it is nice to know that a topic can bring negative vibes to an industry.  It can be positive, it just depends on how it is used.”

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