AI For Art

Artificial intelligence is no longer just powering data centers or virtual assistants, it's becoming a creative force. From surreal digital paintings to photorealistic portraits and generative music, AI is transforming the way we engage with art. But with this new medium comes a wave of excitement, experimentation, and legal complexity.

In this article, we explore the tools artists are using, the evolving techniques, and the legal concerns that are still to be addressed.

Best Tools for Creating AI Art

AI art has never been simpler. Below are some of the most commonly used tools in 2025:

1. DALL·E (by OpenAI)

Best for: High-quality, creative drawings

Features: Inpainting, style transfer, prompt editing

2. Midjourney

Best for: Atmospheric, abstract, fantasy-type artwork

Platform: Discord-based interface

Distinctive feature: Robust aesthetic fine-tuning with stylized prompts

3. Stable Diffusion (by Stability AI)

Best suited for: Open-source testing

Strengths: Fully customizable, locally executed, fine-tuning enabled

4. Runway ML

Best suited for: Video artists and creative professionals

Functionality: Generative editing, motion brush, and text-to-video

5. Adobe Firefly

Best suited for: Seamless integration of AI into conventional design workflows

Edge: Built-in copyright safeguards and commercial use licensing

Techniques: How Artists Are Using AI

AI art is not so much about submitting a prompt and getting back an image. Here's how artists are pushing boundaries:

1. Prompt Engineering

Crafting the ideal input is itself an art form. Artists widely use iterative wordings, emotional undertones, and cultural references to guide outputs.

2. Style Transfer

Combining the style of one piece with the content of another—a cityscape in a Picasso-style or a portrait in a Van Gogh-style.

3. Post-Processing

Most artists take AI as a starting point and then refine their work using Photoshop, Procreate, or Blender with additional detail or texture.

4. Model Training & Fine-Tuning

Professional users train models on individual datasets—e.g., their own photos or drawings—to create a unique style.

Legal Questions: Who Owns AI Art?

This is where it gets murky. Several high-profile court cases and policy debates are shaping the legal landscape.

1. Who Owns the Copyright?

If a work is produced by AI alone with no human contribution, current laws in most countries do not deem it copyrightable.

If the human provides "creative direction," they may have the rights—though this varies by jurisdiction.

2. What About the Training Data?

Most AI models are trained on billions of images web-scraped from the internet, typically without permission.

Photographers and artists began to sue for unauthorized use of their work for training.

3. Is Commercial Use Safe?

Adobe Firefly and similar tools purport to be "commercial-safe" by being trained on licensed or public domain images alone.

Always read the tool's terms of use before selling AI work.

Final Thoughts

AI is unlocking new creative frontiers. Whether you’re a hobbyist making surreal portraits or a professional using AI in a design pipeline, it’s clear that the relationship between art and machine is only beginning to unfold.

Yet with great creative power comes responsibility. As the legal and ethical frameworks evolve, artists must stay informed—and perhaps help shape the rules themselves.