You will not find empathy in the machines

An edition about artists using AIs that don't affect them and other ways to shoot to your own feet.

Jun 10, 2024

HELLO AND WELCOME TO A NEW EDITION OF MY NEWSLETTER!

This has been a busy month. As you know I’m currently working on different projects at the same time as an artist, plus another as a complete artist, plus another one as a writer that I will explain soon. I also attended a convention in Erlangen (Germany) to promote the German edition of my graphic novel adaptation of Fahrenheit 451. It was a great experience and the people from the publisher Cross Cult couldn't be more nice. The event reminded me of the times when comic conventions used to be about comics and only comics. The entire city gets involved with the festival (Erlangen is a beautiful city with universities and a rich cultural activity) and you could find exhibitions and activities everywhere.

QUICK SPAM

Like I can’t talk about my oncoming comics right now, quick reminder of things made by me:

GINGER’S REVENGE is available in the Panel Syndicate platform. You pay what you want. All the money goes directly to the creators. This self-contained graphic novella is available in two formats, one for computers in a widescreen view, and a single-page view for ipads or smartphones. And in two languages: English and Spanish. And bonus stuff like designs and pencils WIP.

I continue working on expanding my online store, where you can find signed and sketched books, blank covers, never-seen original art and drawings, and original pages from series like Polar, Against Hope, Bad Girls and The Mice Templar.

EMPATHY WILL NOT COME FROM THE MACHINES

I really find boring to write about AI, but due to recent events and all the discussions about artists leaving Instagram and joining other more (presumably) ethical platforms like Cara, I remembered something I wanted to share from some time ago, with this AI madness becoming trendy.
I currently use youtube while I’m doing exercise, and watch all kinds of stuff to forget how I hate doing this exercise. I watch mainly channels about cinema, but from time to time I watch music videos (“do you remember watching music videos on TV? Oh… Gandalf, that was the First Age of the Elves…”) mainly of heavy metal, official channels from labels like Nuclear Blast AFM or Napalm Records. And it’s remarkable how profusely they use AI for doing the clips.
The point is, they can do it and I’m sure they save a lot of money using AI for the “lyrics videos” or even the disc covers, promotion posters and even entire music videos like this Bleed Out from Within Temptation, which looks awful by the way.

Honestly, ethical questions aside, this is garbage

Ok, maybe all of us will be using AI in a year because we will have to do it (inevitably maybe). But right now, apart from technological factors, its use is basically unethical (and mainly illegal) because we know how these copy-and-paste programs have been trained. Maybe we should wait until we have things clear and we find a fair way to manage all this chaotic advance.

But I find it sad and lame that established bands like Within Tempation are using this technology because, hey, we are all artists. It supposes that we are in the same boat, don't we?
And it’s also sad to see all these writers using AI for their book covers, even if they are indie artists. I know how it costs to buy a stock image, it’s not so expensive (but of course, you don’t want a stock cover, you want a cover made tailor-made for you… but you don’t want to pay for it). So it’s better than using a technology which is stealing from creative people like you.
Because all these musicians and novel writers will also be reached by their own versions of AI and then, they will claim solidarity too. Correction: It’s happening.
The musical industry is especially whiner when its interests are affected but it seems there is no problem until the fatality knocks at their door… And it’s doing it now, because AI technology applied to writing and creating music is advancing… And surprise! It’s doing it thanks to larceny.

You will not find empathy in AI, but it would be cool to find it in humans for a start.

And that’s all! Of course if there is some question or topic about AI or other subjects you want to propose, the comments section is at your disposal.

BROKEN ENGLISH Victor Santos’ Newsletter

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