AI art is a very controversial topic and has caused quite a heated debate in society. Recently, it has grown more popular in the world, as well as within the school environment. Students use it on a daily basis, whether that be for math, English, or any other subjects.

However, AI art has been rising on social media recently, whether that be for making AI videos to post online or to create art. Some may argue that AI art has been slowly entering and spreading into schools and appearing in art classes.

Art teachers at Clover Hill begin to share their thoughts and opinions about AI art and how they believe it will affect artists around the world and art students here at school.

Jamie Barnett is the Digital Media and Graphic Design teacher at Clover Hill. This class works with Adobe Photoshop to create digital art. Barnett begins to express her mixed feelings about AI art.

“Art is built through empathy, emotion, sensory awareness, connection, and the joy of failing, learning how to make it better or different, and then ultimately being proud of the final outcome,” Barnett said. 

In addition to Barnett’s strong opinions about AI art surfacing in digital art, it will appear in the visual arts as well, but it has different effects. 

Rachael Principe is one of the visual art teachers at Clover Hill. Principe shares her mixed thoughts and opinions about AI art and its effects.

“I see AI as a threat to critical and creative thinking,” Principe said.

Art can be a display of emotion, but how can AI express emotions? Art teachers at Clover Hill shared their thoughts on this complex topic about how AI art can affect the emotional and personal aspects of art.

“I think art comes from the soul and a computer does not have a soul,” Principe said.

“Humans have love, passion, curiosity, delicious Thai food, and sensory overload of simultaneous joy,” Barnett said.

Art students are very passionate about this topic, which begins to stir up heated debates. Students seem to have very strong opinions about AI art and its long-term effect on art as we know it.

These opinions can range from support of the new wave to full anti-AI extremity. Sophomore Mak Tampanello shares his strong opinions about AI art. 

“It’s stealing from artists,” Tampanello said. “People have been figuring things out without it for so long.”

“AI lacks efficiency, I’d rather someone make something have soul than a bunch of things without a soul,” Tempanello said.

Alana Page is a junior at Clover Hill, and she is in honors independent study. Page has some mixed opinions about AI art.

 “It’s horrible, it’s stealing from people’s jobs,” Page said.

“Art is supposed to have meaning to it. AI cannot create that human emotion,” Page said. “Humans are better at understanding feelings and emotions.” 

Aubrey Trinite is in Honors Art 4, and she shares her thoughts and feelings about AI art. “It’s not genuine,” Trinite said.

“It’s not coming from a place with emotion,” Trinite said. “AI doesn’t contain opinions. It is made to agree with you.”

While many view AI as a tool to help with their school work throughout the classroom, some art students and educators view it as a tool.

The use of AI has its time and place, but many artists at the hill say it has no place here.