AI image on the main page? Really?

[DM]

Nice. (Yes, that's sarcasm.) An AI generated image on the main page. I am referring to the poolside bottle of "orange" and a glass with oranges in it. Obviously AI. Hey, Zazzle, what you put on the front page sets the tone for the rest of the site. If you put a crappy AI image up front and center, that means you are happy with crappy images. You have a nigh-unlimited selection of real, talented artists available to you. Maybe commission an image or two. Or have a contest. Something other than AI.

Color me offended.

[Mariholly]

The AI I use allows me to generate touch-ups, and I usually do. It all depends on what you want to do. Normally, they are small illustrations for cards, and any minor imperfection will go unnoticed. I can also rescale and improve the quality. In some cases, I vectorize the designs, mainly to change colors. That was until I discovered I could do it with the retouching tool. I experiment and choose one thing or another depending on what I have in mind. There's only one drawback: the backgrounds. It doesn't create transparent backgrounds, and not all background removers are very effective.

[ColsCreations]

Wow! Was shocked to see this reference. Disturbed's 'Sound of Silence' (THIS version) is a favorite I often play. I find it sooo powerful. I've never once ever thought about how much if at all its been enhanced with AI or other technical means. I just like it. It really moves me ya' know? Even if I found out the vocals were entirely fake, I'd still love it. I'd feel totally cheated by the singer and lose any respect for them for fooling me, but I'd still love the piece itself.

[Barbara]

@ColsCreations 

His voice and his rendering of the song totally changed my mind about Simon & Garfunkle's "Sound of Silence," which never really floated my boat. Did you know he's a trained singer, not just any old rock singer? It shows. When it comes to pitch-altering, there's no reason on God's green earth to apply it to great singers. The producers and recording companies do it under the faulty notion that, if they can make it absolutely perfect, it'll be better. Their notion of perfection is flawed. It's like AI creating a beautiful woman. She isn't. She's creepy. I caught a commercial using it for three women, but it was removed. I bet they received a lot of complaints and may have realized their error.

Colorwash's Home

[Barbara]

Thoughts:

It would seem I do the same in my re-rendering of photos, of my own years-ago work, and of 18th and 19th century illustrations. Am I really doing anything so different from those of you using AI?

Watching another video, this time of Eric Clapton performing "Layla" in concert, it was pointed out that he had a buzz on one of his guitar's frets. He kept going back to it again and again, and the remark on this was that Clapton did it on purpose, that it lent a kind of sitar sound. He was deliberately turning a flaw into a fine feature. And this, too, reminded me of the conversation here.

@MOM: We used to have live music all over the place where I live. These days, we have only the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, but it's not the small, intimate atmosphere I yearn for. Sigh. The good old days. You're lucky to have at least that one place.

Colorwash's Home

[HeatherM]

A few weeks back I went through a mini meltdown and found myself in a rather dark place after listening to a few podcast interviews about AI and how rapidly it is progressing. I applied the perspective of the interviewees to the POD industry and my personal observation that several designers on YouTube are no longer teaching their audiences how to design with Illustrator or Photoshop, but they now focus is on teaching AI prompts.

As I worked my way through my emotions I realized that the implementation and adoption of AI technology is a must for companies to survive. Adobe has dominated the digital art space for years. AI is now changing the competition field for Adobe and only time will tell who the real winners are in the space. I think the same logic will apply to the POD industry. Will it be the established businesses that survive or will it be an unknown startup that enters the space.

For my own sanity all I can do is accept that the "AI evolution" is out of my control and I need to remain open minded and nimble. Change can close doors, but change also opens doors. The only thing that I am in control of is how I respond.

[MOM]

@HeatherM  I love your last paragraph. That’s exactly it. That’s all we (normal) folks can actually do about it. A boycott will change little in the big picture. I know and I annoy people and family constantly because I boycott a lot of things (or companies like Nestle etc.).

[HeatherM]

@MOM The consumer will definitely guide the market and shape the future.

I am trying to manage my fear with the thinking that when computers were introduced to the workplace it had to be very scary. People adapted and thrived.

[MOM]

@HeatherM  Exactly!! We will adopt and learn to live with it. And some companies may go belly up while others just will rise out of nowhere and will get stinky rich. I wanted a looking glass into the future (and buy some stock while I’m at it, lol). Maybe already a year would be plenty? Everything is changing so rapidly.

[HeatherM]

Dying laughing @MOM!

I told my husband that there are so many unknowns with AI I think that we need to just take whatever money I earn with my POD stuff and buy technology based index funds.  Some of the tech giants (Musk, Gates, Altman, etc) can really get me worried about the future of humankind and our financial future. 

[Susang6]

Zazzle frequently updates the home page with trendy artwork.  If they use  AI images then it would not bother me.  and I have never thought their image choices were "crappy" .   Unlike you I think its great that Zazzle offers a wide assortment of Art.  I know you may think AI is not art, and that okay. There are all kinds of ART forms.  I do AI generated Art and  you should know that  it take time, patience and a whole lot of edits to get the computer to create what I have in my mind.  I am talking hours and sometimes I just walk away from it.  this artwork took me several days, I kept walking away from it...  Its not as easy as you think.