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When we abandon the habit of considering humans superior to machines, the situation will appear entirely different. There seems to be a misunderstanding; I do not provide AI generators with images of my artwork. Instead, I envision my creations in my mind and convey them with a few chosen words. Subsequently, AI generators, enriched by vast datasets and the study of art, present numerous versions of artwork. Among them, many images convincingly resemble artworks created by human hands, blurring the lines of authorship. If creativity involves generating novel images by recombining existing works or infusing them with originality, then evaluating the endeavors of AI generators and artists in this process would be a disheartening contest for humans.

 

Plato's Notion of Imitating Ideals :

Plato perceived reality as a mere imitation of ideals. However, can the original persist when artificial intelligence, created with the purpose of faithfully reproducing and emulating human abilities, surpasses human capabilities? The images produced by AI generators undoubtedly transcend the limitations of my original work, especially in terms of diversity. In line with Simulacra, AI generators unhesitatingly pursue the path of the Marquis de Sade, questioning, 'Why should I resemble you?' in response to the original. Rather than viewing AI as an equal, it challenges the framework of human creativity.

 

Technology as a Flexible Mechanism : 

I refrain from treating technology as a mere tool, and I do not consider humans as slaves to technology. From the perspective of traditional mechanism, AI generators may be perceived as single-function machines. However, within the context of contemporary French philosophy's mechanist viewpoint, they become flexible concepts, adaptable according to the input they receive. Michel Foucault once pointed out in "Discipline and Punish" that the essence of modern human subjectivity lies not in free will but in regulation. This shared essence between AI generators and modern humans implies that humanity is already manifested within machines. To use an AI generator, humans provide specific keywords. If we define cybernetics as the fundamental assumption that humans adjust to computers and computers adjust to humans, then the seemingly disparate entities of organic and inorganic, living and mechanical, can be seen as interconnected.

 

In conclusion, I reject a simplistic view of technology as a mere tool, as well as the notion of humans becoming slaves to technology. Instead, I propose a dynamic perspective, perceiving AI generators as flexible mechanisms sharing a core essence with modern humans. In this context, the notion of collaborating with artificial intelligence does not sound unnatural.