(Me side-eyeing the camera after starting my shift)
By Ava Jones
The widespread integration of generative AI taking place across artistic industries is interesting. Artists are primary stakeholders in general, seen as their individual interests are directly impacted by, say, a company’s decision to lay off entry-level design employees to make room for an AI deployment. And in the world of gallery curation and museum work specifically – which I am currently delving into at LeMoyne Arts – artists are also direct stakeholders in the creation of AI-generated immersion rooms, which are quite the spectacle in gallery exhibition at the moment. LeMoyne’s administration, donors, and visitors are indirect stakeholders in this situation, seen as the final outcome and public impression is what affects them the most. The artists, however, must be somewhat invested in every aspect of production. Is the database that the AI uses infinite and pulling from unlicensed, stolen work? Or is it ethically modeled to select from a database made up only of the artist’s work? Will they be compensated? Will the public response harm or benefit their career?
While this may sound like an extremely specific and tedious example of the issue, it’s actually quite indicative of the conversations organizations must have in order to ensure that in the midst of undeniable technological shifts, artists remain protected. As a gallery assistant, I interact daily with artists looking to get their art featured or processed for consignment. I recently researched and revised LeMoyne’s artist exhibition agreement documents, as one of LeMoyne’s administrators found it to be a little vague, lacking in procedure, and not as expressive as it could be of certain IP conditions artists likely wouldn’t mind having in front of them while making the decision to exhibit. The perspectives of artists are what I’m currently looking to highlight within my research.
Both the technical and social aspects of my research fit in with my overall intent of understanding how artists can be incorporated into the development of intellectual property, and what can be done in my local Tallahassee community to contribute. As of now, I would call myself a 70/30 mix between the helper and the advocate; I’m doing what I can to assist within the current system, but I’m also beginning to test the waters of traditional advocacy with my interviews and document revisions. I’d like to inch farther into the advocate role during my experience this summer, because as an artist myself, I’ve landed a wonderful opportunity to contribute back to the art community that raised me.
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