Video game illustrators in China are losing work due to generative #Artificial Intelligence ; one worker claims she is making 10% of her original rate to tweak AI-generated #🖼📷Art  - https://restofworld.org/2023/ai-image-china-video-game-layoffs/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

AI is already taking video game illustrators’ jobs in China

Artificial Intelligence

🖼📷Art

Jerome Cody

“I lost everything that made me love my job through Midjourney over night.

I am employed as a 3D artist in a small games company of 10 people. Our Art team is 2 people, we make 3D models, just to render them and get 2D sprites for the engine, which are more easy to handle than 3D. We are making mobile games.

My Job is different now since Midjourney v5 came out last week. I am not an artist anymore, nor a 3D artist. Rn all I do is prompting, photoshopping and implementing good looking pictures. The reason I went to be a 3D artist in the first place is gone. I wanted to create form In 3D space, sculpt, create. With my own creativity. With my own hands.

It came over night for me. I had no choice. And my boss also had no choice. I am now able to create, rig and animate a character thats spit out from MJ in 2-3 days. Before, it took us several weeks in 3D. The difference is: I care, he does not. For my boss its just a huge time/money saver.

I don’t want to make “art” that is the result of scraped internet content, from artists, that were not asked. However its hard to see, results are better than my work.

I am angry. My 3D colleague is completely fine with it. He promps all day, shows and gets praise. The thing is, we both were not at the same level, quality-wise. My work was always a tad better, in shape and texture, rendering… I always was very sure I wouldn’t loose my job, because I produce slightly better quality. This advantage is gone, and so is my hope for using my own creative energy to create.

Getting a job in the game industry is already hard. But leaving a company and a nice team, because AI took my job feels very dystopian. Idoubt it would be better in a different company also. I am between grief and anger. And I am sorry for using your Art, fellow artists.”

“I lost everything that made me love my job through Midjourney over night.  I am employed as a 3D artist in a small games company of 10 people. Our Art team is 2 people, we make 3D models, just to render them and get 2D sprites for the engine, which are more easy to handle than 3D. We are making mobile games.  My Job is different now since Midjourney v5 came out last week. I am not an artist anymore, nor a 3D artist. Rn all I do is prompting, photoshopping and implementing good looking pictures. The reason I went to be a 3D artist in the first place is gone. I wanted to create form In 3D space, sculpt, create. With my own creativity. With my own hands.  It came over night for me. I had no choice. And my boss also had no choice. I am now able to create, rig and animate a character thats spit out from MJ in 2-3 days. Before, it took us several weeks in 3D. The difference is: I care, he does not. For my boss its just a huge time/money saver.  I don’t want to make “art” that is the result of scraped internet content, from artists, that were not asked. However its hard to see, results are better than my work.  I am angry. My 3D colleague is completely fine with it. He promps all day, shows and gets praise. The thing is, we both were not at the same level, quality-wise. My work was always a tad better, in shape and texture, rendering… I always was very sure I wouldn’t loose my job, because I produce slightly better quality. This advantage is gone, and so is my hope for using my own creative energy to create.  Getting a job in the game industry is already hard. But leaving a company and a nice team, because AI took my job feels very dystopian. Idoubt it would be better in a different company also. I am between grief and anger. And I am sorry for using your Art, fellow artists.”

That's grim. And it's just the tip of the iceberg. We've barely scratched the surface of machine learning let alone genuine AI.

In a society that judges a persons worth purely on their economic contribution it's going to be a disaster.

That's grim. And it's just the tip of the iceberg. We've barely scratched the surface of machine learning let alone genuine AI.  In a society that judges a persons worth purely on their economic contribution it's going to be a disaster.

Jerome Cody

A group of likeminded people in Artificial Intelligence are talking about this.