I recently spoke with a world-famous brand that leveraged AI to create custom, high-end, artist inspired liquor bottles. While the technology is undoubtedly impressive, I was curious how they found an artist willing to collaborate on the project.
I recently spoke with a world-famous brand that leveraged AI to create custom, high-end, artist inspired liquor bottles. While the technology is undoubtedly impressive, I was curious how they found an artist willing to collaborate on the project. After all, I would have thought that artists wouldn’t want to commoditize their work by allowing AI to produce untold number of iterations based on it. However, the project owner shared that the artist they partnered with recognized that this AI collaboration would actually enhance the visibility and value of his work. Brilliant!
As I reflected on this, I considered how countless reproductions of famous art pieces are available for purchase and display worldwide. Take Van Gogh’s iconic painting, “Starry Night”; it is everywhere from coffee mugs to lego sets. However, this does not diminish the value of the original. In fact, it generates more interest in it. Countless people visit The Museum of Modern Art in New York to experience the piece firsthand. They become curious about the artist, his inspiration, the emotions he was feeling at the time, and why he chose to paint the scene in such a particular way and name it as he did. While AI can produce visually impressive works, those creations will always be modeled after something else, and people may not be able to connect with them in the same manner since they cannot relate to the human behind them. By making an artist’s work more accessible, AI can actually draw attention to both the artwork and the artist, facilitating a connection that enhances the artist’s value. This connection is evident in the case of the original “Starry Night,” which is estimated to be valued at possibly $1 billion, whereas a reproduction can be purchased for just $10.
In the context of branding and graphic design, this example illustrates that we should not fear AI but instead embrace it. We must leverage AI for what it can accomplish swiftly and efficiently—tasks that would be difficult for humans to do alone—and then infuse the outputs it creates with what only humans can provide: emotion. It is essential to connect with our clients and understand their strategies and the emotions behind them so that we can convey that emotion to their consumers and evoke a similar response. This process is not easy; it is not programmatic. While it requires significant intelligence and a well-defined process, it is ultimately an art form. The unique value that humans contribute to the creative process, such as the ability to empathize with audiences and express emotions, cannot be replicated by AI. Until AI can perceive the world through the human lens of emotion, it will never be able to produce true art or replace the artist. Therefore, we should utilize AI extensively—not because it will ultimately create the artistic output we need, but because it will expedite the artist’s journey toward achieving that output.
To help you get a feel for this as it relates specifically to “Starry Night”, have a look at this video in which world famous physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson expresses his admiration for it.