Appreciation post: A podcast host said something about AI and art that stuck with me

I was listening to a tech podcast yesterday and the guest, an artist, said 'The tool doesn't make the art, the artist does, even if the tool is an AI.' I've been using image generators for about six months now and that really hit home. I realized I was getting frustrated with the outputs because I was just typing basic prompts and expecting magic. Now I spend way more time on the initial concept sketch and the prompt feels more like giving directions. Has anyone else found that changing how you think about the AI's role changes your results?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant.richard2mo ago

Totally get what you mean. I started treating the prompt like a detailed work order instead of a wish list and it made a huge difference. It's less about hoping for a good result and more about guiding the machine through the exact steps you want.

adam_anderson62mo ago

Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. I read this article that compared it to giving directions to someone who takes everything literally. If you just say "go to the store," they might walk into a wall, but if you say "walk out the front door, turn left, go three blocks," you get what you want. It's all about removing the guesswork for the machine. Once you start spelling out every little step, the quality just shoots up.

victor_adams952mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly that quote is spot on. Tbh treating the AI like a dumb but fast assistant changed everything for me. Way better results when you boss it around with clear instructions.