AI graphics, a new frontier

This post is a direct consequence of the one about the presence/absence of artworks in an RPG book I have written some weeks ago. Let me say that the discussion I started on some boards did not helped me in a decision as I didn't find yet a good reason if not the one related either to the tradition born with the first books and kept along nearly 50 years of RPG history or to the expectations of the readers who find it "normal" to have a picture every 3/4 pages...

Anyway, this is not the real subject of the topic. Due to this reason I did some search and found something really amazing: the application of AI to images/graphic. What I found is both exalting and worrying to my eyes.

Let's start from the beginning: there are already many users of AI graphics. I found a website where this is possible to test it as a trial. The website is Midjourney: you can join for free and test what it is possible to do with it. Now, follow me: I am not an IT guy, I know nothing about coding or similar (I admit I studied the theory of machine learning but with no real application!). I joined Midjourney, I read the quick start guide (it takes some minutes), I opened the discord channel and typed in the prompt of command:

two knights dueling with swords in a battle with a medieval engraving style in black and white

I waited less than one minute and got this: 


I went further: there is the option to select one of the 4 images and upscale it (and improve it with more details); I selected the fourth image and this is the result:


I have no words... Ok, the image is not perfect and anyone can always argue on the quality and details... but come on: this is the result of less than 2 minutes of work.

What is incredible is that if you reperform the same text in the prompt you will never get the same result! Look here below: these are other outcomes of the same text!



Now, while I agree over the magnificence of AI, I am really worried as it potentially can replace the work of an artist... I am not speaking of a mere task to be done on a huge mass of data... this should bring a lot of questions about AI...


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