AI cannot create art, it can only reproduce it: George Mathen
Graphic novelist George Mathen aka Appupen talks about his latest book that highlights the impact of AI on art
In 2021, while attending a comic arts residency in France, George Mathen aka Appupen, gained extensive knowledge about artificial intelligence (AI). The graphic novelist met physics professor and scientist Laurent Daudet, who described the phenomenon of a lack of resources to successfully run AI for creating art.
In a conversation with us, Mathen, who was recently in the Capital for a literary event, discusses the process of working with Daudet to create Dream Machine: AI and the Real World, his recent graphic novel.
“We (Daudet and I) decided to make this novel, and initially it was supposed to be an explainer on how AI works alongside art. But Daudet got a publisher in France, and then it became much bigger. While Daudet gave me all the information, I had to crunch it and weave a story around it,” he tells us.
Ask the author whether he’s threatened by the imminent imposition of AI in creative spaces, and he says, “I’m very cautious of it, but I’m not threatened. AI cannot create [art]; it only reproduces. However, there will be a lot of job losses because profit-making corporations will jump on the opportunity to undercut lowwage workers and replace them with AI. But just to get to that point, it’s going to take some time.” Calling for regulations, the 44-year-old adds, “Regulations will be needed in place if AI takes over. AI is very much focussed on the market’s point of view and not the people’s point of view.”
Mathen’s book is an adventure novel with social commentary, in addition to being an explainer. It has stark differences from his earlier works such as The Legends of Halahala, Moonward, and Rashtrayana, which are mostly set in Halahala, a fictional world created by him.“The studying involved in creating the book is what was mainly different from the others. The book’s
one. “We put in several prompts to get this name,” he shares.
At the end of the book, which has been published in three languages — English, Bengali, and French — there is a unique feature where five different scenarios from the book have been reproduced with the help of AI. “We did this specifically to show the readers the difference between a human touch in a graphic novel and what would happen if AI had to do the same thing. It lacks in every manner, and it sort of acts as a satirical touch to the book,” he signs off.
The book’s main aim is also to educate people on the concept of AI, and so the style of art is quite different. GEORGE MATHEN, Graphic novelist