This is my Slop Chart. I set out this summer to see if AI elements in my Art effected my view duration and click rate on the thumbnails. And unfortunately it did. I always say paint with integrity. It is why I film my process. I’ve noticed a lot of creators publicly denounce AI but secretly use it. Be it background music and scripts for vlogs. As well as post. I can always tell when a script is written by an llm. It always has the same cadence. And it sounds like is was written by a Neck Beard Readdit Moderator. Because that is what it is trained off of. I also see artist trying to sneak AI compositions into their work. Or they are grabbing a reference photo off of Google not knowing that it is AI. Other artist can tell. Your work speaks for itself.
If you use AI as a reference, you will develop bad habits that you will have break later on down the line. If you train off of AI images your work will do fine at the Flea Market. But, will not be hung in the gallery. AI is disconnected from reality and heart. It also, struggles with dynamic compositions. Fabrics and mussel movement is also flawed.
This is why I started hiring models to photograph and paint. I wanted to paint a pirate. But, I didn’t want to paint fan art. I feel that 60% of a painting is composition and 40% everything else. So if I paint Keira Knightley from Pirates of the Caribbean, I feel like I am only giving 40%. I used 3d meshes in Blender. (that is even worse than AI for reference material). So, I dusted off the Nikon and hired a model. This brings the “Tegrity” into my work. I always say paint with integrity. This is why I film my process.
Now, as far as content creation, AI is very helpful with workflow. Especially background music for videos. I like to edit my visuals to the audio. But, if I select a YT song it removes the audio on other platforms. And one song is on IG but not on TT or X. For years I would edit the same video 3 times for each platform. I’ve also gotten permission from a band to use a song. But then years later get a copyright strike from spotifi. So, I made a synthwave songs for my videos. That wasn’t very “Tegrity” of me. So I leaned into it. Now I will write a thought dump or a poem. Then have Chat GPT turn it into a song. Then it goes to suno and generates music. Now 4 video edits become one. A half a days work of work cut down to an hour. I intentionally make the songs unmarketable and they are usually either Critical of AI or Artistically educational. I love using AI to $hit on AI it makes me laugh when the llm gets defensive over the word “Clanker”.
Now, on to the data. Before I started dabbling in AI, my viewer retention was 20 to 30 percent per video. Now, I am at 60 to 70 percent. I can focus on the quality of one video instead of being burned out by three or four edits. What I call BAM slop. It is discouraging. What my data is showing me is that if I sprinkle some AI Slop on my content, you all consume it. But, If it is all Slop you won’t watch it. And no slop you don’t watch either. It is a real Goldy Locks situation.
But, I think it is a poison pill. I don’t recommend getting dependant on these tools. They are designed to curate and censor creativity. And the pricing structure is cheep now, until it is not. Also, these companies are about to implode under their own weight. If you are using AI as a small business and the music stops. You are going to have a bad time.
And if you are a content creator using AI in secrete you will be exposed when you are priced out. That is going to be hilarious to watch.
If you are going to use AI be honest about it. Don’t go burn down the nail salon over an AI flier and then have GPT write your vlog script.
But, at least I have my “Tegrity”. I film my process, no AI goes on canvas. With an exception of one experiment that got painted over. I’ve had people ask how I use A.I. in my art. I don’t and I have Terabytes of receipts to prove it. And I encourage other artist to document their process because the McCarthyism is out of control.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles”. Sun Tzu
