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| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-02-10 15:21:03
*Editor’s note: K-VIBE invites experts from various K-culture sectors to share their extraordinary discovery about the Korean culture.
Scrutinizing AI: The Emergence of Orchestra-Conducting Robots
Contributed by Lee Eun-jun (professor at Kyungil University)
San Francisco, one of the strongholds of modern art in the U.S., is currently at the heart of an artificial intelligence (AI) war. As mentioned in a previous column, the city is home to the Misalignment Museum, the world's first museum dedicated to raising awareness of AI risks, founded by Korean-American Audrey Kim.
Everywhere in the city, billboards and electronic displays are filled with advertisements promoting AI platforms and technological innovations. I have long studied the impact of AI on the field of art.
In reality, AI is redefining every aspect of creativity, including the arts.
So, does this mean that traditional art will disappear entirely?
◇ The Rise of AI Art: Threat or Coexistence?
It is true that AI has emerged as the biggest threat to traditional art. AI can now create paintings, compose music, and even write poetry, raising doubts about the role of human artists.
However, amid these concerns, I have found possibilities for coexistence.
As mentioned in a previous column, AI has enabled the creation of new forms of art. Increasingly, artworks produced through human-AI collaboration are gaining attention.
From interactive exhibitions utilizing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to abstract visual expressions driven by data art, AI is expanding artistic frontiers beyond what was once imaginable.
Technological advancements do not solely threaten the arts.
Upon closer examination, classical art continues to maintain its presence and sustain its vitality in its own way.
Masterpieces displayed in museums still attract large audiences. While the traditional means of producing and consuming art are no longer the norm, the value and uniqueness of classical art remain significant in contemporary society.
◇ Past Threat to Co-Existence
Artificial intelligence, capable of creating paintings, music, and poetry within seconds, is simultaneously disrupting traditional artistic paradigms and opening new possibilities for collaboration.
This year, there have been numerous cases of AI introducing new artistic forms. In particular, interactive exhibitions utilizing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are drawing attention.
In New York, ARTECHOUSE is providing visitors with an immersive experience through AR-based exhibitions. The SUBMERGE Project, which begins on the 10th of this month, aims to transform the 100-year-old boiler room of Chelsea Market into a hub of digital innovation. This project will utilize a state-of-the-art, 270-degree, 18K-resolution immersive digital canvas to showcase works by dozens of creators.
At the Tate Modern in London, a 'retro' exhibition titled Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet is currently on display. It includes VR-based works and highlights the early innovators of optical, kinetic, programming, and digital art from the 1950s to the dawn of the internet era.
Particularly notable is the exhibition’s focus on early VR art experiments that paved the way for immersive digital technology. One standout piece is Liquid Views (1992), an interactive installation that allows visitors to manipulate their reflected image in digital water through a touchscreen interface.
The exhibition runs until June 1 and features over 150 works, offering an opportunity to experience the roots of technological art. These advancements, along with the abstract expressions made possible by data art, illustrate the new artistic frontiers that can emerge through collaboration between humans and machines.
◇ NFT and Its Scarcity
NFT is a technology that created a major sensation a few years ago, bringing a new wave to the digital art market. Based on blockchain, this technology certifies the ownership of digital works, granting scarcity to infinitely replicable digital files and transforming the market landscape.
The sale of digital artist Beeple’s work Everydays: The First 5000 Days for approximately 77.2 billion won at a Christie’s auction demonstrated the immense economic potential that NFTs could unlock.
To increase the value of NFTs, some artists make bold decisions to burn or delete the original work. This may be a strategy to counteract the ease of copying and pasting digital works or an attempt to maximize scarcity. However, there is no legal obligation to delete the original file after issuing an NFT. Most artists choose to retain the original, showcasing the fundamental nature of NFTs, where value and ownership are technically guaranteed.
Nevertheless, some artists voluntarily destroy the original work to enhance its rarity and value. A well-known example in South Korea involves a painter who burned his own work. On the other hand, there are cases where buyers request the deletion of the original file, seeing it as a way to further emphasize the uniqueness and worth of the artwork.
Ultimately, NFT is a technology that certifies the ownership of digital assets, and its value is assessed independently of the existence of the original file. Whether to preserve or delete the original is a matter of agreement between the artist and the buyer, and the decision varies depending on the context of each artwork.
However, these changes have also sparked controversy. Critics argue that NFT art has become more of a speculative asset than a form of artistic expression, leading to divided opinions within the art world. The overvaluation of NFT works and the skyrocketing prices driven by certain wealthy IT investors have raised fundamental questions about the nature of art itself.
Supporters claim that NFTs represent a new form of art investment and that artworks have always functioned as a store of value, while critics argue that NFTs are nothing more than another form of speculation. The debate remains unresolved.
◇ The Future of Art: Towards New Balance
NFTs and artificial intelligence have a positive aspect in that they decentralize power within the art world and provide more people with opportunities to appreciate and own artworks. NFTs transparently authenticate the originality and ownership of works, enabling direct transactions between artists and buyers.
However, technological innovation does not necessarily guarantee the qualitative value of art. There needs to be a discussion on how the rarity and originality of artworks can be maintained amidst the rapid advancement of technology.
Modern artistic hubs, including San Francisco, are becoming experimental grounds for exploring the new possibilities and challenges brought about by the convergence of technology and art. The transformations driven by AI and NFTs show that art is not merely a relic of the past but a bridge connecting the present and future.
Ultimately, within the coexistence of technology and art, the essence and value of human creativity will be redefined.
Paradoxically, in an increasingly digitalized era, classical works are gaining even more value due to their "scarcity." The reason more people are focusing on traditionally crafted artworks is that digital works can be easily replicated and accessed online.
In digital media, artworks spread quickly and become widely available, whereas classical works, existing in physical form, hold intrinsic value simply by their material presence.
As seen in the case of Tate Modern, classical art continues to maintain its significance, drawing even more attention in the digital age due to its rarity. Unlike digital works, physical artworks are difficult to duplicate, granting them a unique value.
This is precisely why people still visit museums and theaters. And the appreciation of such art will continue indefinitely.
It is worth considering the fact that ancient Greek theater is still performed in a form remarkably similar to how it was originally staged.
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