Fantastical AI-driven photos and selfies have recently taken over social media, with enthused individuals from all around the world joining the trend. One is inundated with images of friends and family members dressing up as mythological beings while going through Instagram feeds – superheroes, medieval princesses, historical figures, movie characters, you name it; it’s there.
However, a finger click rather than a paintbrush stroke is what makes this widespread fad possible. Users have flocked to websites like Lensa AI and Midjourney that let them enter hints and ideas to create AI-generated artwork and “magic avatars” of themselves.
In the recent rush of AI-selfies, one artist from the UAE also joined the trend but added his own distinctive spin. Yohan Wadia, an illustrator and creative director by trade, has transformed blue-collar residents of Dubai’s former Al Satwa neighborhood into superheroes from the Marvel and DC universes. In order to honor the unsung heroes of Dubai’s business hub, who in his opinion are what make the city what it is, the artist has created AI-generated artworks depicting Superman sitting on a bench by the side of the road and Spiderman crossing with shopping bags.
Despite the fact that his “Heroes of Satwa” series became viral on social media, Wadia and other digital artists have also come under fire for using AI to create art. The usage of mobile apps by artists has been criticized for copyright violations and oversimplifying the art-making process, among other ethical issues.
Machine learning is used to create art in AI. It is created with the aid of computing power that trawls the internet, learns patterns, styles, and just about any other aspect of art, then uses human input to recreate graphics based on the learning. Unfortunately, contrary to popular belief, AI painting is not as easy as pressing a few buttons to produce an effect. To create something as close to one’s imagination as feasible, one must first visualize in as much detail as possible and then type in a description of the image they have in their head. The AI will then make some versions based on your prompts, and you can continue to adjust your prompts based on how the AI creates the art until you achieve artistic perfection.
