At the intersection of AI and human creativity

Artwork by Kiraly Art 2014

In a world where artificial intelligence can now create art in seconds, what happens to the soul of human creativity—and the artists who pour their hearts into their work?

While Australians and many others around the world grapple with the effects of inflation and rising costs of living, a similar discussion on how artists support their creative practice comes to the forefront.

Creative Australia has released a major report on the working lives of Australian artists that shows it is now harder than ever for professional artists to make a living. In despite of the fact they are generally well educated, highly skilled, and that Australians deeply value their contribution.

The incomes earned by professional artists are dismally low. According to research funded by Creative Australia shows that in the 2021–22 financial year, artists’ income from creative work averaged only A$23,200. This excludes sick leave, holiday pay, super and other additional duties including meetings, quotes and grant applications that creatives may be responsible for are typically doing it on their time without remuneration.

When other sources of income are added – such as from teaching or working outside the arts – the average gross income of Australian artists was still only $54,500 in the year. In comparison with the $73,300 average yearly earnings of all employed people in Australia, artists’ earnings were significantly lower. Like many other professionals and workers in Australia, artists engage in continuous learning and mastering new techniques and concepts to advance their practice. But is that enough to live on? A culture of secrecy and government ineptitude keeps the struggle out of view and how artists actually support themselves.

According to some studies, artists are highly educated. Three-quarters hold a university degree, compared with only 36% in the wider labour force, and more than 40% of artists also hold a postgraduate degree, compared with 30% of all Australian professionals.

But if a nice piece of paper and a black robe wasn't enough, given these levels of training, the extent of artists’ forgone income can be estimated by comparing their income with those of professional workers such as lawyers, doctors and accountants who have similar levels of training, qualifications and experience. Data compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for different occupational groups Australia-wide show in the 2021–22 year, the average income of professional workers was $98,700.

Based on data from an ongoing economic study supported by Creative Australia. The mean income of an artist from their core creative practice in 1986/1987 was $26,000. In 2022, 36 years later the latest survey indicates a mean income of just $23,000. A reduction by $3000. When adjusted for inflation over that time period, they should have been earning $77,380 per year from their core arts practice in 2022. Placing the average artist in charge of subsiding the arts sector and national economy by $54,380 per year through in-kind labour.

While the incomes of Australian artists have stagnated over the years, their expenses related to their artistic practice have been increasing dramatically. In the 2021–22 financial year, artists spent an average of 73% of their artistic income on expenses related to producing their work.

Professional artists, whose working conditions were already precarious, were particularly hit bad by the covid pandemic and lockdowns. By the end of 2022, only one-third of all artists had fully returned to their working hours prior to covid, with just over half partially returned or in the process of doing so. 16% did not believe they would be able to return to their previous working hours as an artist.

Some artists may be able to sustain their practice by supplementing their income with Centrelink and/or a second job. Having a second day job is regarded as a necessity, and the resulting pressures and rates of mental and physical health implications are amplified and swept under the rug.

The precarious nature of writing grant proposals means that some artists may find success, while others have expressed concerns about the high rejection rate, which often favours already established, wealthy artists or those meeting specific requirements such as those relating to Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity (DEI) aligned with the United Nations guidelines.

Consequently, you get art and culture shaped by State-globalist propaganda, reminiscent of the famous American abstract expressionist artist Jackson Pollock and his connection with the CIA to promote America's liberal and free democratic image worldwide.

In some cases, professional artists may be considered overqualified for certain jobs, employers may instead opt for younger, less experienced or more inexpensive artists and graduates. These individuals can be exploited through unpaid work, unpaid internships or lower wages due to a lack of industry inexperience or insufficient worker rights exacerbated by the globalisation of the workforce. some positions are advertised as opportunities for new artists to build a portfolio and client relationships or 'exposure' instead of receiving fair compensation.

The arts sector could also benefit from a shift towards greater government and banking transparency. Especially in light of the barrage of cuts to the sector over the years, if we don’t speak frankly about our finances and the associated challenges, artists will continue to be shut out from funding or contributing to key decisions surrounding economic and monetary policy or any ability to develop a sustainable career contributing to Australia's culture, as well as look after themselves and their family in the process.

While the image of a struggling aspiring artist seems almost romanticized, the truth is that most individuals abandon their creative endeavours as financial motivation erodes. Could culture be reduced to a cycle of mass-produced, algorhythm driven Ai generated click-bait and brain-rot? In today's fast paced society, where data is the new oil and attention is some form of new gold preyed over by corporations, quantity has taken prominence over quality or human collaboration and I don't think that's capitalisms fault as those same corporations would have you believe.

Freelance websites and the gig economy

Freelancing websites such as Freelancer, Upwork or Fiverr pride themselves on providing access to a large number of professional artists, however each artist is pitted against one another in a Hunger-games style race to the bottom of price de-valuation. Artists must compete against other professional and amateur artists living in third world developing countries, each attempting to outbid one another for the promise of a new project and pay. Each person promising more than a professional artist could realistically deliver on time. Typically, businesses avoid direct competition, but these websites actively encourage it on their platforms and base their entire model on direct competition, adding further downward pressure on pricing.

There are no protections in place for artists or workers in the gig economy from the effects of globalization and commodification. Local freelance websites are another option to consider but the job boards are not as active and the websites may lack functionality making them practically unusable. Reddit, the front page of the internet, has subreddit forums specifically for art job postings and artists for hire but their pricing is similar to that of Fiverr and other freelance websites. In the FAQ section, Reddit urges artists to price their artwork no lower than $30 a piece for non commercial work, despite this, many amateur artists price themselves even lower, sometimes $5 for full page illustrations.

Artists in the gig economy face several struggles that impact their financial stability and well-being. One major issue is the lack of financial planning and education, as gig economy workers are responsible for handling all aspects of their business, including legal, financial, and marketing, which traditional employees would typically receive support for from their employers. This can lead to financial insecurity and stress, especially when there are slow seasons with less spending and income, such as the period following an expensive Christmas time.

Another significant challenge is the precarious nature of work, which can be isolating and lonely. Working from home and while travelling abroad is a good sales pitch but the glamorization of the gig economy as a flexible and rewarding lifestyle often overlooks the reality that many artists struggle with. They may face issues like no sick pay, no employer pension contributions, and economic dependence on their current gig, leading to risk-averse behaviours.

Moreover, the gig economy can lead to burnout, particularly in the music industry. Musicians often have to take on secondary jobs to survive, and the expectation to produce constant content can spread artists' ideas and creativity incredibly thin. This can result in mental health issues and career burnout, with some artists turning to other professions to maintain their well-being.

Lastly, there is the issue of misclassification, where businesses classify employees as contractors to save money. This can lead to artists missing out on state and federal employment laws that provide protections and benefits to employees. Determining misclassification can be difficult due to the lack of a single body of law to follow, making it challenging for artists to assert their rights.

It is an industry with a culture and expectation of low and unpaid labour that can be viewed as systemic or institutionalized exploitation. Ultimately, the artists are the key financial investors in keeping the industry afloat, yet unlike typical investors they have no agency in directing the industry's future

AI and mass-scale copyright theft

Legacy media occasionally grants the subject of low artist pay and a collapsing art sector the attention it deserves but often ends by promoting the notion of a 'universal basic income'. UBI is being piloted in some countries and for the first time ever is now being taught in an Australian Sydney University.

It's an enticing thought that Billionaire technocrats would be kind enough to pay their fair share in tax after the enormous government subsidies they received and backing from Microsoft and the United Nations to achieve such rapid advancement of ai. This rapid advancement aided and facilitated by the mass-scale theft of copyright images and data harvested from databases and the web by non-profit AI shell companies. This Data was then used by for profit companies such as OpenAi to develop the AI software that makes all the cool pretty pictures that have become so common and cheap today.

The explanation of how AI could ever realistically fund a global UBI social program falls short and the unintended consequences of debt, inflation and mass job-loss due to ai automation are left for the tax payers to ponder. Will this be another pie in the sky social program designed to enrich the politicians, corporations and elite technocrats who draft the legislation in backroom deals? There is no doubt in my mind however that artists should be fairly compensated but to suggest that we should expand Centrelink in to some global UBI program seems too soon to me, though. Centrelink needs an overhaul from its primitive Carrot-and-stick points system which punishes welfare recipients for their inability to follow through on their contractual obligations, such as finding work. But what if those job opportunities are dwindling in your area because elected representatives supported policies that sent manufacturing overseas because they said it would save costs?

Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems later said he believed those practices violated copyright law. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He had been well-regarded by colleagues and one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. He was set to stand in court and provide evidence against the company he worked for before passing away on 26 November under suspicious circumstances. Suchir Balaji, listed in court filing as having ‘relevant documents’ about copyright violation against OpenAi.

In a utopian Star-Trek post scarcity society fever dream, maybe AI and UBI will one day be the saviours the media, governments and technocrats such as the WEF advisor Yaval Harari make them out to be. But often history shows that socialism sends a country further into debt and in extreme cases, communism. Under socialism you eventually you run out of other peoples unless they flee the country first.

Despite the encroaching threat of AI, corporatism, militarisation and centralisation and job-loss, most people seem to enjoy living in service to their community, granted that they are renumerated or provided for fairly. There are still dangerous jobs that could be automated, but was art, culture, creativity and media one of them?

Supporting local artists in your community is crucial for fostering creativity, preserving culture, and sustaining a vibrant artistic ecosystem. When you choose to purchase art from local artists, you are not only investing in their talent and hard work but also contributing to the cultural and economic growth of your community.

One way to support local artists is by visiting online or local markets and purchasing artwork from Australian or local independent artists in your area. By supporting independent artists, you are helping to promote art and culture while also ensuring that local artists have the means to continue honing their practice.

Communities and businesses play a crucial role in nurturing local talent and helping artists gain recognition within their community. Businesses and communities provide artists with the opportunity to grow their practice and participate in projects that grow the community such as sign-writing, murals, workshops, networking events, and allowing them to connect with other artists and businesses within the community.

By hiring and working with local artists and purchasing artwork from independent artists, you are not only supporting individual artists but also contributing to the overall growth and development of the local art scene and wider community.

In addition to supporting local artists, purchasing artwork from Hungarian, Australian and other artists also allows you to own unique and one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect their rich cultural heritage.

Moreover, supporting local artists can have a positive impact on the local economy. You are helping to create jobs, stimulate economic activity, and promote tourism in your community. In addition, supporting local artists can also lead to greater diversity and innovation in the arts, as artists are encouraged to develop their skills and experiment with new techniques and styles and foster further collaboration in their communities.

Overall, supporting local artists is essential for preserving cultural heritage, fostering creativity, and promoting economic growth in your community. By choosing to purchase artwork from local artists, you are not only investing in their talent but also contributing to the overall well-being of your community. So next time you are looking to add a new piece of art to your collection, consider finding and supporting the talented artists in your community.