The Art of Deception: How Artificial Intelligence Tools Challenge the Boundaries of Creativity and Perception

Creativity is the lifeblood of human imagination, it has shaped the world around us in ways too numerous to count. From Van Gogh’s oil paintings to the captivating animations created by Walt Disney, human creativity has imprinted itself in the book of humanity's existence. Each such masterpiece has the power to transport us to alternate realities and invoke powerful emotions. As we evolved in our ways of living, so did our creativity. As we advance in this digital age, so does our lifeblood. In this modern world, we turn to AI for nearly all of our needs and problems, and when we try to bluff our way through creative complexities, AI draws upon the best hand at every round.

Over the years, tech wizards have experimented with creativity and AI, and have been able to develop tools to generate creatively complex and sophisticated pieces of art with nearly zero human involvement. Algorithmically-generated art has often been able to confound humans.  

The relationship between artists and AI has evolved significantly over the years, as artists have increasingly embraced AI as a tool for enhancing their creativity and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. Earlier this year Adobe announced that it would be adding Generative AI to its flagship editing software, Photoshop. “Generative Fill combines the speed and ease of generative AI with the power and precision of Photoshop, empowering customers to bring their visions to life at the speed of their imaginations,” says Ashley Still, senior vice president of Digital Media at Adobe.

Nowadays most characters we see in movies are simply CGI(Computer Generated Images). Currently under controversy is Marvel Studios' “Secret Invasion” TV series which utilized AI to create its opening sequence. With AI generating such life-like creativity it won't be long before humans lose the ability to distinguish between real and fake. This is where we encounter one of the most intriguing developments in AI's creative journey: DeepFake Technology.

According to the University of Virginia, a deepfake is an artificial image or video (a series of images) generated by a special kind of machine learning called “deep” learning (hence the name). Deep learning is similar to any kind of machine learning(both subsets of AI), where an algorithm is fed examples and learns to produce output that resembles the examples it learned from. The mainstream use of deep fake technology is to alter/transform the facial properties of a person in images/ videos to look like those of an influential figure. Many social media creators have been known to use DeepFake technology for entertainment purposes. For example, Chris Ume on Instagram is known for his Tom Cruise deep fake videos.

Deceptive art is on the rise. Computer-generating art softwares such as Midjourney and DALL-E2 have endless creative possibilities. “Soon after starting with Midjourney, I became obsessed with the creative possibilities," said Photographer Joe Avery while talking with AFP news about his Deceptive AI-generated pseudo-photography. Numerous famous artists like Sougwen Chung, Mario Klingemann, Alexander Reben, etc. utilize AI-based creativity which has been known to challenge human perception.

Such deceptive realism of AI-generated art brings with it a myriad of ethical dilemmas. AI technologies can be used to easily manipulate images, impersonate individuals, and create counterfeit videos, all of which raise concerns about misinformation and consent. The high utility of such tools especially Deepfake technology spikes ethical concerns about how technology can be used to trick and manipulate human perception. Leading to detrimental effects on society, organizations, and nations. “It is getting easier, and it will continue to get easier. There is no doubt about it,” said Matthias Niessner, a professor of computer science at the Technical University of Munich who is working with Google on its deepfake research.

Other AI tools to detect such computer-based manipulation are needed now more than ever. Google has developed a new tool called SynthID to help identify computer-generated photos and artworks. While Google doesn’t promise infallibility against extreme image manipulations, SynthID provides a technical approach to utilizing AI-generated content responsibly. The tool is expected to evolve alongside other AI models, extending its capabilities beyond image identification to audio, video, and text. However, even though other AI detection companies like “Optic: AI or not”, “GPTZero”, “Sentinel”, etc. are rapidly developing more robust tools, experts fear that we are losing the battle.

To conclude, while AI tools have advanced at an astonishing rate, they still have their limitations in the creative space. AI can definitely generate style and technique but is unable to get in contact with true emotions. For art to retain a certain depth of creative mystery, artists are still required. AI doesn’t necessarily need to replace artists but can rather aid them when they are in search of inspiration, serving as a collaborative tool. AI artists continue to push the boundaries in the creative field. Artificial Intelligence is only going to continue growing, its level of detail and perfection with it. This link between human creativity and AI innovation is going to constantly change, challenging us to push the boundaries of artistic expression and precautionary security in this digital age.