As AI-generated art becomes more prevalent through the explosion of accessibility and experiments, curators and critics are grappling with new challenges in how to evaluate and contextualize these works. One specific issue that has emerged is the rendering of hands in AI art, which has become something of a zeitgeist for the current moment.
In traditional art, hands are often seen as a marker of the artist's skill and expression. From the expressive hands of Michelangelo's David to the stylized hands of Picasso's portraits, hands have long been an important element of artistic expression.
However, when it comes to AI-generated art, rendering hands can be particularly challenging. Many AI systems are trained on large datasets of images, and as a result, they often have difficulty with rendering hands in a naturalistic way. This can lead to distorted or awkward-looking hands in AI-generated art, which can potentially detract from the overall aesthetic of the piece.
However, it can be argued that this issue with rendering hands is actually a reflection of the current moment of technological development. In an age where people spend hours each day typing on keyboards and scrolling through screens, hands have taken on a new importance as tools and symbols of our increasingly digital lives. Thus, the awkward, distorted hands in AI art may therefore be seen as a commentary or reflection of the ways in which our bodies are changing in response to technology.
Over time, the issue with rendering hands in AI art will be overcome as the technology continues to develop. As AI systems become more sophisticated and are trained on more diverse datasets, they will be able to better capture the nuances of hand movement and expression. This is noticeable in recent upgrades, as noted in the recent Futurism article, “WATCH OUT, FOLKS: AI IMAGE GENERATORS CAN DO HANDS NOW”. This article delves into the recent updates from Midjourney.
Regardless of how one views the issue of rendering hands in AI art, it is clear that this is just one of many challenges that curators and critics will face as they navigate the new world of AI-generated art. As these works become more prevalent, it will be important to develop new frameworks for evaluating and contextualizing them, taking into account both their technical limitations and their cultural significance.
(This piece was written with support from Open A.I.)