On a quest to catalog the transitioning-period
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With where we are at as a community, I certainly believe digital art created prior to the onset of AI will hold a special spot of importance, particularly code based art. Of course I am not here to tell you how to think about art but I tend to think about three buckets: pre-AI, transitioning-period, post-AI (ubiquitous adoption). I think each era will hold quite a unique set of important traits people in the future will value.
Everyone alive today to witness the extraordinary changes in the world of creation from digital tools to now artificially intelligent ones is living through a time like no other. It is already almost unheard of for people to be coding without some AI tooling assistance, and these tools have been commercially around for only a couple years. Just as I today use adobe illustrator and digital techniques to create works for all to see, Iโm sure many (?the majority) will take up AI tools into their practice even if that does not mean their practice strictly is AI basedโฆ (of course purists refusing to use AI will exist as well).
But now more than ever I really think it will be critical to document HOW artists created their digital works whether it's through digital software, coding, our current available AI tools, etc. These help tell the stories and the history of art. While it may not be evident to us today as we are just living through this moment in time together, how will people in the future learn about the history of art? The art industry's acceptance of digital mediums sure exists today but adoption into every fabric of our world is yet to come, and with it the way we perceive art and understand art may change. This is partly why I am continuing to write as a way to document my thought process and my practice.
Additionally people truly underestimate the value of onchain adoption. The โ21/โ22 wave has come and gone but the industry is and has matured. Those in this community of course see what is to come as financial systems are slowly but surely onboarding. Immutable data is important more than ever and with each passing year will be even more crucial. Immutable information of art is no different.