Civitai AiR Roundtable Vol. 1

Civitai
22 Aug 202464:05

TLDRWelcome to the first Cittai AiR Roundtable, a gathering of artists from the Cittai artist residency program exploring generative AI in their work. The session introduces the diverse group, including painters, sculptors, and digital artists, and delves into their experiences and projects, showcasing how AI is integrated into their creative processes. The discussion highlights the unique ways each artist utilizes AI, from finding fossils for artwork to creating digital collages and 3D models, emphasizing the importance of ideas and the artist's role in guiding AI tools to produce innovative art.

Takeaways

  • 😀 The Cittai AiR Roundtable is a discussion platform for artists in the generative AI art community.
  • 🎨 The Cittai AiR (Artist in Residence) program has been active for about seven months, fostering a remote and global community of artists exploring generative AI.
  • 🌟 The program aims to integrate AI into existing studio practices, encouraging the exploration of new techniques and concepts without requiring artists to be AI natives.
  • 👩‍🎨 The artists introduced themselves, highlighting diverse backgrounds ranging from sculptors and painters to digital artists with experience in AI and traditional art mediums.
  • 🤖 AI is seen as a tool that can streamline the creative process, allowing artists to iterate ideas quickly and explore the fusion of traditional and digital art forms.
  • 🚀 The discussion touched on the importance of the initial idea or 'point' in art creation, which is becoming more important as AI tools become more accessible.
  • 🛠️ Artists shared their experiences with various AI tools, emphasizing the exploratory and experimental nature of working with AI in art.
  • 🔍 The roundtable highlighted the unique ways each artist is using AI, from creating 3D models of fossils to exploring language and translation in art.
  • 💬 The value of community and communication was emphasized, with the program providing a platform for artists to share their work and gain insights from others.
  • 🔗 The session concluded with a reminder of the importance of ideas in art, and how AI can be a tool to help artists realize their creative visions.
  • 🌐 The Cittai AiR program encourages following their artists on social media and the website to keep up with their projects and the evolving use of AI in art.

Q & A

  • What is the purpose of the Citiai Air Roundtable session?

    -The Citiai Air Roundtable session is a platform for artists in the Citiai artist residence program to discuss their individual projects, provide feedback to each other, and share how they are using generative AI technology in their creative processes.

  • How long has the Citiai Air program been active?

    -The Citiai Air program has been active for about seven months at the time of the roundtable session.

  • What does the Citiai Air program aim to achieve?

    -The Citiai Air program aims to serve as an incubator and digital studio for the creative exploration of generative AI, investigating new techniques, applications, concepts, and breaking new aesthetic ground by integrating AI into existing studio practices.

  • What was Ira Greenberg's initial experience with AI in the context of his artwork?

    -Ira Greenberg's initial experience with AI involved using it to create images and integrate it with his classical painting background. He found AI to be a powerful tool that combined his interests in coding and image creation, leading him to become completely obsessed with it.

  • How does Jason Baylor Lash describe his journey with AI in his art?

    -Jason Baylor Lash describes his journey with AI as an incredible and enriching experience. He started with limited knowledge of AI and, through the program, learned to integrate AI into his studio practice, using it to produce sculptures and paintings by building and training models based on his own artwork.

  • What is Keon Copper's artistic background, and how is he incorporating AI into his work?

    -Keon Copper is a 27-year-old painter and poet from Brooklyn, New York, with a unique interest in archaeology and paleontology. He is relatively new to AI and is exploring how AI can streamline his process of creating art with fossils, aiming to create a 'Fossil Finder' AI that can identify fossils in different geolocations.

  • What is the role of Chris, the director of the Citiai Air program, in supporting the artists?

    -Chris, as the director of the Citiai Air program, facilitates weekly studio visits with the artists, providing insights, guidance, and a space for discussion. He helps the artists refine their ideas and navigate the technical aspects of integrating AI into their work.

  • How does the Citiai Air program differ from traditional art residencies?

    -The Citiai Air program is completely remote, allowing it to accept artists from anywhere in the world. It focuses on the creative exploration of generative AI, serving as an incubator and digital studio, and does not require artists to have a background in AI to join.

  • What challenges do artists face when starting to work with AI, according to the roundtable discussion?

    -Artists face challenges such as understanding the technical aspects of AI tools, finding the right starting point for their projects, and learning how to integrate AI into their existing studio practices. The development time to become proficient with AI tools can also be a challenge.

  • How does the Citiai Air program encourage collaboration and idea sharing among artists?

    -The Citiai Air program organizes roundtable sessions and provides a platform where artists can introduce themselves, discuss their projects, and give feedback to each other. It fosters a community where artists can learn from each other's experiences and explore AI technology together.

  • What are some of the unexpected outcomes or 'magical moments' that artists have experienced when working with AI?

    -Artists have found that AI can produce unexpected compositions and placements of elements that they wouldn't have thought of, leading to new creative directions. The imperfections and breaks in AI outputs can inspire artists and become integral parts of their work.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to the Generative AI Art Community

The script opens with an introduction to the Generative AI Art Community hosted on citi.com. The speaker, Tyler, welcomes viewers to a special Friday civetti air Roundtable session, which is the first of many to come. The purpose of these sessions is to discuss individual projects and provide feedback within a community of artists. The civetti air program, directed by Chris, is an artisan residence program that has been active for about seven months, focusing on the creative exploration of generative AI. The program aims to integrate AI into existing studio practices to break new aesthetic ground. Artists from around the world are introduced, including Chris, who is the director of the program, and several residents who share their experiences and backgrounds in AI and art.

05:02

🌐 The Diverse Backgrounds of AI Artists

This paragraph highlights the diverse backgrounds of the AI artists in the roundtable. Each artist introduces themselves, discussing their experiences with AI and their creative processes. The artists come from various disciplines, including painting, sculpture, and digital art. The discussion touches on the impact of AI on their practices and how they are integrating AI tools into their work. The artists share their excitement about learning and growing within the program, emphasizing the importance of community and feedback in their artistic journeys.

10:03

🛠️ Exploring AI Implementations in Artistic Practices

The artists delve into their experiences with AI implementations, discussing how AI has impacted their work. Jason, a sculptor and painter, talks about his transition into using AI in his art. Keon, a painter and self-proclaimed archaeologist, shares his interest in using AI to streamline his work with fossils. The conversation explores the challenges and learning curves associated with integrating AI into traditional art forms, as well as the creative possibilities that AI offers to artists.

15:04

🎭 The Intersection of Digital and Physical Art

The artists discuss the intersection of digital and physical art, particularly focusing on how AI is used to bridge the gap between the two. Ira, a professor with a long history in digital art, shares his perspective on the materiality of AI and its potential to enhance traditional art forms. The conversation explores the tension between digital and physical mediums and how artists are using AI to create unique and innovative works of art.

20:05

🤖 AI as a Collaborator in the Creative Process

The artists consider AI as a collaborator in their creative process, discussing how AI can generate unexpected results and inspire new ideas. Jason shares his experience with AI-generated compositions, while Ira talks about the 'magical moments' when AI produces surprising outputs. The discussion highlights the importance of embracing the imperfections and serendipity that AI can bring to art creation.

25:08

🌟 Showcasing AI Art and the Role of Community

The artists share their thoughts on showcasing AI art and the role of community in their work. They discuss the importance of sharing their processes and ideas with others, both for feedback and for the sake of building a supportive network. The conversation emphasizes the value of programs like civetti air in facilitating these connections and providing a platform for artists to develop and exhibit their AI-assisted art.

30:10

🏗️ Building a Fossil Finder AI and Creative Aspirations

Keon shares his ambitious project of building a Fossil Finder AI that can identify fossils in various geolocations. He discusses his goal of using AI to enhance his work with fossils, which involves creating 3D models and integrating them into gaming engines. Keon's project reflects his passion for combining art, science, and technology to create unique and engaging experiences.

35:10

🎨 Integrating AI into Traditional Art Practices

Jason talks about his journey from being a portrait painter to a sculptor and how he uses AI to create compositions for his paintings. He discusses building a model based on his sculptures and using it to produce sculptures through AI, which he then incorporates into his paintings. The conversation highlights the integration of AI into traditional art practices and the creative possibilities it offers.

40:12

📚 The Role of AI in Art Education and Resistance

Ira discusses the role of AI in art education and the resistance he encounters from traditional artists who are not digitally oriented. He emphasizes the importance of understanding AI as a tool with unique material properties, similar to sculpture clay or paint. The conversation underscores the need for artists to embrace AI and explore its potential in their work.

45:14

🧙‍♀️ Myth and AI: Exploring Cultural Translations

Inis shares her project inspired by the myth of Baba Yaga, exploring the concept of cultural translations and misinterpretations through AI. She discusses using a daisy chain of AI models to transform images and text, highlighting the fascinating results when the AI 'breaks' or produces unexpected outputs. The project delves into the parallels between AI's black box phenomena and magical thinking in mythmaking.

50:15

🔮 AI as a Tool for Creative Exploration

The artists reflect on their use of AI as a tool for creative exploration, discussing the importance of starting points and the evolution of their ideas. They share their processes of using AI apps and models to generate new work, emphasizing the role of AI in shaping their artistic direction. The conversation highlights the liberating nature of working within the frameworks of AI tools and the exciting possibilities they offer for artists.

55:15

🌐 Final Thoughts on AI in Art and Community

In the closing segment, the artists share their final thoughts on the role of AI in art and the importance of community. They discuss the value of sharing ideas and experiences through programs like civetti air and the potential of AI to democratize art creation. The artists encourage others to explore AI and engage with the community, highlighting the uniqueness of each artist's approach and the collective potential of the group.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Civitai AiR

Civitai AiR refers to the artist residency program by Citi.com, focused on generative AI art. It serves as an incubator and digital studio for artists to explore and integrate AI into their creative processes. The program is designed to be inclusive, accepting artists from anywhere in the world, and does not require them to have pre-existing AI experience. In the script, it is mentioned as the central theme around which the roundtable discussion is organized.

💡Generative AI

Generative AI is a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content, such as art, music, or text, rather than just analyzing existing data. In the video script, generative AI is the core technology that the artists in the residency program are exploring and using to produce their artwork, indicating a shift from traditional to digital creative methods.

💡Residency Program

A residency program typically provides a temporary workspace for artists, allowing them to develop their skills and work on projects. In the context of the video, the Civitai AiR residency program specifically supports artists in their creative exploration of generative AI, offering them resources and a community to foster innovation in digital art.

💡Aesthetic Ground

The term 'aesthetic ground' refers to new territory in the world of visual arts and design. In the script, Chris mentions the goal of the Civitai AiR program to 'break new aesthetic ground' by integrating AI into existing studio practices, suggesting a desire to push the boundaries of what is considered beautiful or artistically valuable.

💡Figma Board

A Figma board is a digital workspace where designers and artists can collaborate and showcase their work. In the video script, artists are encouraged to share their Figma boards to discuss their projects and receive feedback, demonstrating the collaborative nature of the residency program and the use of digital tools for creative expression.

💡AI Native

The term 'AI native' refers to artists who are well-versed in using AI technologies as part of their creative process. The script mentions that the Civitai AiR program is open to artists who are not AI natives, indicating that the program is inclusive of artists with various levels of experience with AI in their work.

💡Studio Practices

Studio practices refer to the methods and techniques used by artists in their creative process within a studio environment. The script discusses the integration of AI into these practices, suggesting a modernization of traditional art creation methods and the exploration of new ways to produce art.

💡Rabbit Hole

The phrase 'going down the rabbit hole' is a metaphor for going deeply into a particular subject or activity. In the script, it is used to describe the process of becoming engrossed in learning and using AI tools, indicating the complexity and depth of the AI technology that the artists are exploring.

💡Digital Archaeologist

A 'digital archaeologist' is a term used by one of the artists in the script to describe their approach to art, which involves using technology to explore and reinterpret historical or archaeological themes. This concept is unique to the artist's practice and demonstrates the personalization of technology in artistic expression.

💡NFTs

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are a type of digital asset associated with unique items, often artworks, on the blockchain. In the script, Ira mentions his involvement with a platform for creating AI-generated NFTs, highlighting the intersection of AI, art, and blockchain technology in the contemporary art world.

💡Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is a term mentioned in the script that refers to a type of AI model or technology used in generative art. While not explicitly defined in the script, it is implied to be a significant tool in the artists' exploration of AI in their work, indicating the advancement and variety of AI technologies available to artists.

💡Autocomplete

Autocomplete, in the context of AI, refers to a feature that predicts and completes text or image data based on partial input. The script mentions 'autocomplete 11-11', which seems to be a specific AI tool or model that the artists are using to generate art, showcasing the auxiliary functionality of AI in the creative process.

💡AI Implementations

AI implementations refer to the application of AI technologies in various fields, including art. In the script, artists discuss their experiences with AI implementations, particularly in the context of the Civitai AiR program, indicating the practical use of AI in enhancing or transforming their artistic practices.

💡Conceptual Framework

A conceptual framework is a system of ideas or concepts that guides the understanding or interpretation of something. In the script, the artists discuss the conceptual framework of AI in art, suggesting that they are not only using AI as a tool but also exploring its theoretical implications and potential in their work.

💡Iterate

To iterate in the context of creative work means to repeat a process with the aim of improving or refining the output. The script mentions the ability of AI to quickly generate ideas, allowing artists to iterate faster and potentially arrive at their 'good ideas' more quickly, highlighting the efficiency gains AI can bring to the creative process.

💡AI Avatars

AI avatars are digital representations or personas created using AI technology. In the script, Jason mentions his previous experience with AI avatars, which he used to promote his artwork, illustrating one way in which AI can be integrated into an artist's marketing and self-promotion efforts.

💡Digital Studio

A digital studio is a virtual workspace where artists can create and produce their work using digital tools and technologies. The Civitai AiR program is described as a digital studio for generative AI exploration, indicating that it provides a platform for artists to experiment with AI in a digital environment.

💡Incorporating AI

Incorporating AI into one's work means to integrate artificial intelligence tools or techniques into a process or project. The script discusses how artists are incorporating AI into their studio practices, suggesting a fusion of traditional art methods with modern AI technology to create novel artistic outcomes.

💡AI Tools

AI tools refer to software or applications that utilize artificial intelligence to assist in various tasks, such as creating art, analyzing data, or generating content. In the script, the artists discuss their experiences with different AI tools, indicating the diversity of AI applications available to them and their exploration of these tools in their work.

💡Artistic Expression

Artistic expression is the communication of thoughts, emotions, or ideas through various art forms. The script highlights the use of AI as a new medium for artistic expression, with artists exploring how AI can be used to create unique and innovative art, pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms.

💡AI-Generated Art

AI-generated art is artwork that is created or significantly influenced by artificial intelligence. The script discusses the creation of AI-generated art within the Civitai AiR program, showcasing the artists' exploration of AI as a new form of artistic creation and its potential to produce novel and diverse visual outcomes.

💡AI Implementation

AI implementation refers to the practical application of AI technology in a specific context. In the script, the artists share their experiences with implementing AI in their artwork, reflecting on how AI has impacted their creative process and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.

💡AI in Art

The use of AI in art is a contemporary practice where artists integrate AI technologies to create, modify, or enhance their artwork. The script provides insights into how different artists are exploring AI in art, indicating a growing trend of technological integration in creative fields and the diverse ways AI can be utilized by artists.

💡AI and Creativity

AI and creativity explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and the creative process. The script discusses how AI can augment human creativity, offering new tools and techniques for artists to express their ideas and push the boundaries of artistic creation.

💡AI-Driven Art

AI-driven art refers to the use of artificial intelligence to drive the creation and direction of artistic projects, making AI a co-creator rather than just a tool.

Highlights

Introduction of the first-ever Civitai AiR Roundtable session.

Civitai AiR is an artist residence program focused on generative AI art.

The program has been active for about seven months, fostering a community of artists exploring AI in their work.

Chris, the director of the Civitai AiR program, discusses the program's goals and structure.

Artists from diverse backgrounds and levels of AI experience are brought together to share and grow.

Iness introduces herself as a new member of the program, based in LA and new to AI.

Jason shares his experience as a sculptor and painter, integrating AI into his art practice.

Keon, a painter and self-proclaimed archaeologist, discusses using AI to streamline his fossil art.

An, a digital artist from Paris, talks about the intersection of digital and physical in his work.

Ira Greenberg, a veteran in digital art and professor, shares his journey with AI and its impact on his creative process.

The importance of understanding AI tools and their integration into the creative process is emphasized.

Artists discuss the iterative process of creating AI art and the value of 'bad ideas' in reaching innovative solutions.

Ira's exploration of AI in relation to his background in painting and coding is highlighted.

An's project involves creating physical objects from AI-generated images, exploring different materials and methods.

Keon's ambition to create an AI fossil finder and integrate it into his painting and sculpture work is shared.

Jason's use of AI to generate sculptures and integrate them into his paintings is discussed.

The roundtable concludes with a reflection on the importance of ideas in the age of AI and the role of the artist.