Stay Ahead of NFT Trends (Part 1): AI Art NFTs

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Art is always evolving, isn't it?

Since decades ago when our ancestors carved art on rock walls, to carving sculptures, and today where digital art is the norm.

In recent times, there are emerging themes alongside advancements of technology too.

In this 2-part series, we will dive into 2 emerging types of digital art and NFTs that have been taking the space by storm.

In this 1st part, we will dive deeper into AI art and NFTs.

What exactly is AI art?

AI art - also known as Artificial Intelligence art, is art created by machines, based on machine-learning algorithms trained using a vast amount of data.

How does it work?

A human artist can enter keywords or sentences into an AI model. The model will then use algorithms to analyze millions of works of art and produce its own images as a visual interpretation of the original text.

Generative adversarial network (GAN) is the machine learning framework that is used to generate images in these AI systems.

While it might sound deceptively simple, artists need to spend a long time training the AI model and fine tuning the outputs to their liking.

After the outputs are created, artists would also typically manually select from the vast number of outputs to be used for a collection.

Is AI art, considered Art? 

Before we explore the differences between AI and other forms of art, let's take a step back and examine Art itself.

What is Art?

Generally, Art can be viewed as creating expressions in new directions with certain tight constraints.

These creative expressions can reflect the time around the artist, or convey messages the artist wants to share.

For the viewers, our enjoyment typically come from appreciating and experiencing the art itself, not just about the technology behind it.

So, what about AI art?

AI artists use new tools and novel creative processes to create their art.

They leverage on AI models: training them with a wide quantity of input to create output that conveys their specific ideas.

Simply put, they are using the same artistic process and embodying it a new medium. 

Artists rely on their artistic taste and flair to train the model, alter inputs, select and curate the outputs etc.

AI art is absolutely art, and it's here to stay.

What are some AI art I need to know?

There are several artists and collections that made the headlines in recent months.

In particular, the Life in West America collection by Roope Rainisto has taken the NFT world by storm. 

As of today, it has done over 1,800 ETH in total volume and has a Floor price of 4.75 ETH - from a mint price of only 0.1 ETH.

Beyond the quantitative data, the collection showcased the wonders of post-photography in full display.

It used a combination of visual language from traditional photography's, alongside the wonders of AI, to capture and invoke feelings from a moment in time.

I can't claim to be an expert in post-photography, so I'll let others explain it better. 

To have a deeper understanding of the entire AI art movement, read this gem:

AI art ecosystem

Is this all just a flash in the pan?

How big is this ecosystem exactly?

This is a burgeoning ecosystem with many tools and platforms that are supporting this movement.

To create AI art, Epolab is a text-to-art generator that allows users like you and me to easily create a new abstract art piece based on the text they choose and mint it directly to OpenSea.

To explore and buy AI art and Art NFTs in general, marketplaces like Sansa and Artacle pulls all the necessary data and analytics for us to discover and purchase AI art.

There are even innovative use cases like Botto: a decentralized, autonomous artist that creates AI art, generates real revenue and shares it with the community.

Of course, not forgetting the AI art juggernaut Braindrops, which cemented its place as one of the best AI-art platforms today.

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