art – Ted Clifton's Grain of Salt Commentary

General Buck or AI

Just read a sort of matter-of-fact article stating that in the future (tomorrow?) countries will protect their trillion-dollar investments in AI processing centers with nuclear weapons. Now if this does not remind you of Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey or maybe Dr. Strangelove then you aren’t paying attention.

A country is ready to kill humans on an epic scale to protect the “Big Brain”. If it wasn’t so sad it would be laughable. And who will decide if the moment has arrived to launch the death missiles—maybe the Big Brain.

I write, or try to write, mystery novels. 100% fiction. I would not dare write something along those lines because I would worry my reader would not find it believable.

Now, of course, this was not a press release from any government, but someone speculating on what would be a logical conclusion based on the investment and the increasing dependence on mega-watt computing power to determine the course of action countries take to defend themselves.

So, it may not be true, but it sure follows logic. Human tragedies have occurred in the past by countries protecting minor assets such as bridges or airplanes or just because they could. The Big Brain will, no doubt, become such a critical part of national security that it will be easy to justify anything to prevent the death of the Big Brain. Just ask the Big Brain!

AI on a massive scale is inevitable. Who would stop it?

A certain hypocrisy exists in my tone about AI. I’m using it in many ways, like many people, and finding it intriguing and useful.

I’m old enough to remember the first discussions about computers. These were mostly primitive devices that could count and sort things. This was the 1950s. My brother, Curt, had been drafted into the Navy (yes, there is a story there for another time), and through a testing program to determine your best usefulness, the Navy assigned him to their “state-of-the-art” computer facility. It was the early stages of computing. The public was not told much about what the military was doing with computers, but they were the leaders at this time—not IBM, in advanced use of the technology. That only meant that they had advanced further in sorting and counting.

Even then, there was a great deal of concern that “machines” would take over decision making from humans. In fact, they were working on just that. Leaping forward some seventy years and you can imagine what is going on now. Maybe it’s good or maybe it’s bad; but it is inevitable that the ability to make decisions within seconds based on a massive amount of data is the skill machines excel at, while humans often pause. That pause is the difference between surviving and dying in the scenarios the military studies. Thus, General Buck is no longer the best decision maker it’s AI.

I once requested an image of lizards in the desert from AI and one of the lizards had a leg coming out its head—a glitch. Not a big deal. Oops, was that missile just launched – “who ordered that?”—no one answers.

Human Feeling

My good friend Stanley Nelson and I have been discussing AI and the implications for artists and writers. We agree and then we disagree. We collaborated on three books, Murder So Wrong, Murder So Strange and Murder So Final, which were centered around a time in Oklahoma City when there was a newspaper war between the established and powerful newspaper and the upstart, The Oklahoma Journal. We lived there during this time and knew many of the people involved.

We survive collaboration, just barely, and still speak, although there was a somewhat quiet phase right after the books. Here was our latest email exchange about AI.

Stan.

Once I stopped to study an oil of yours, hung somewhere in your house. I was particularly taken by how you used simple, brief touches and swaths of color to suggest, successfully, a window, a door, a wall, a shadow. It was hard not to compare that with a nude portrait you did decades ago, hung so that it commanded the den in the house in Del City. I found that one far busier with its colors, not quite achieving the impressionism I figured was being tried for, although I never asked about it. I had only taken a junior high-school art class, but I had learned enough to wonder.

This is an opinion, but I should say your representational and sometimes impressionistic art has evolved over time, and for the better. Whether anyone agrees is hardly the point, which instead is about how art gives us a way to gauge someone else’s progress, or even regress, as an interpreter of the world around them. Consider the obsessive study of Van Gogh’s progress as an artist. Much like science, the matter is never conclusive.

So, here is my point: that art is not, nor has it ever been, a matter of instant gratification or product quality, i.e., salability or favorable critical appreciation. The goal of art is personal expression on a scale greater than or, at least, different from the ordinary, and for that a person must be the source. To credit AI for arranging pixels—zeros and ones—so a visually striking picture appears is a bit like giving out prizes to frying pans for not burning the bacon.

My response:

The artist, human or AI, is judged by the results. You can ponder the artist behind the work, but it is the art itself that sticks in our head. If we could extract personal expressions in art, then your point would be well stated. I’m just not sure we can. I have buried in my basement an accumulation of art that has not been seen by many–you might even call it hidden. Why, because it was not what I was trying to achieve. Failures? No, probably not, those mostly got painted over; this would be “it’s okay, but just not right”. So, if the result is what matters, soulless, stolen, zeros and ones generated art still must be judged by the result. Therein lies the problem, the results are awesome.

That’s one of the reasons I think AI writing is not as powerful as art. The writer is easier to “feel” in writing, I think, than in art⁽¹⁾. Of course, that is still debatable. I have played with AI writing, book descriptions and others, and it feels different. While competent, there is something missing. Now, you can say the same about art–but I don’t get that feeling with art itself. It looks great, conveys with subtlety the qualities listed in the instructions. I’m still going to say the art generated by AI will stunt any on-going development of human artists. Why do something that is mostly inferior to what can be done with AI. While it’s sad, it doesn’t change the fact; AI results are better.

I haven’t heard back from Stan, but my gut says he is going to say bullshit (although he doesn’t use that language as much as I do). If you’re a creative person AI is a threat. If not your soul, then maybe your pocketbook. But AI is going to replace many people, people who love what they do, but cannot work for nothing or 24 hours a day.

Even with that pain, I will still say on almost any objective level AI is brilliant. Maybe an asshole but many creative people (things?) have been assholes, so what’s so different.

I believe that we all will incorporate AI tools into much of our daily lives. How do we not use that easy access tool that produces such amazing and easy results. Many of us already have and it will grow because it works.

Are there risks, even existential risks? Yes.

(1) When I wrote the “feeling” sentence I was thinking about creative writing, such as novels. It’s possible that technical or business writing will be better not worse when done by AI since there was not much “feel” involved in the human version.

Art and Power

Every day the tech world makes life easier and more confusing. Do any of us really know how this stuff works? We cannot exist without a functioning internet. At alarming speed, the basic needs for human existence are food, water, shelter and now electricity.

Sure, electric power has been a human need since the days of Benjamin Franklin, but with the internet it is a vital necessity that would leave us lifeless if it was cut-off. Whether that is good or bad or somewhere in between is not relevant. The relevant point is that few of us have considered the risk of losing access to electricity.

One of my “side-hustles” is advising companies in the electric infrastructure industry. My advice is financial and has nothing to do with their work. As a result of that connection, I have a feeling that the whole system is vulnerable. This is not news. Most people with any knowledge recognize the great vulnerability of the electric grid system. It’s not terrorists, although the system is not well protected, mostly it is the overall age of the total infrastructure.

In the 1950s government thinkers (no that is not an oxymoron) decided the largest vulnerability for USA security and commerce was a poor highway system that traversed the country. From those first thoughts huge amounts of money were spent on designing and building the interstate highway system. That system may have changed the country as much as anything that has ever been done.

The same approach needs to be focused on our electrical distribution system. My layman’s advice has been to focus on small units of energy production and improved storage of power. I won’t go into the details, because they are boring—but believe me this is a big problem that needs attention.

In the fourth grade Miss Smith told me I was the best artist in her class. I was a little bit surprised but immediately believed her, after all she was the teacher. From that point up to my initial year in college I thought of myself as an artist. An artist who didn’t produce much but none the less; I was an artist—ask Miss Smith.

I enrolled in college and was immediately told I had to have a major. I tried to tell them I was only avoiding the draft and was not really interested in much and for sure had no idea about a major. They insisted. So, I became an art major. Of course, that meant I needed to take some art classes. I enrolled in art appreciation (how hard could that be?) and a drawing class. After reviewing the supply list for the drawing class, which was going to cost me a month’s rent (which wasn’t all that much) I was considering dropping the course.

I didn’t drop the class and after only a few weeks wished that I had. The instructor was never going to be my buddy. He yelled at people, me included, about artistic sense and how many of us were obviously not in the right class. He acted offended that we were not better at what we were studying to be better at. It was a personal affront to his whole being that he had to be around such talentless ingrates. After a few weeks of this haranguing, I was giving thought to enlisting.

Around the third week, Mr. “I’m So Wonderful” art instructor had to leave school due to some emergency that was never explained. He was replaced by an older woman who looked lost, scared, and usually didn’t show up for the classes.

Several people in the class gave me good advice and were instrumental in my becoming a better artist, although I’m sure Mr. I.S. Wonderful would still have given me an F. Despite Miss Smith’s opinion, that unpleasant experience was probably the first time I was a “real” artist. If you are required to suffer to become an artist, I was now in the club.

Lost and Found

It’s been a while. Did I get lost? No, not really, just stopped writing. When I’m writing books everything about my day seems to stay in focus. The book writing tends to keep me engaged and alert in all aspects of my life. Without that focus I drift.

So, I’ve been drifting. What have I found. I started a new activity. It’s a website selling stuff. The stuff is shifting some but mostly it is bags, totes, duffels, some apparel, posters, and some yoga items. Why. Mostly because I like to design and play with designs in bold striking colors. That is my art. This is some of that, but different—it is using all the tools including AI to create images. The images are more important to me than the products—so the bag becomes art. Is it art? Is it my art?

I really don’t know the answer to that question. My first reaction to AI creating something was directly related to writing. I was playing with the tool and discovered it might be more effective at writing than I was. Or at least faster! The more I experimented, the more I became disillusioned about my writing. Do we already have all the knowledge we will ever need and therefore, all new things will just be rehashed from past creations. AI will learn and spit out the next best seller based on parameters entered by AI “talkers”. No need for authors. Fast, easy, and cheap.

I started using AI images to add to this blog. That was some time ago. It was amazing. Enter words and there in an instant an image. The fascination with the process started to interfere with my writing. I became enamored with the non-creation of non-original art that was not my art or anyone else’s and was based on past art that was used without permission to teach a computer to create something new. It was wrong, but the results were so right—and inevitably better than my art, better than my book, better than my blog, better than?

So, I tumbled from the haze into creating bags using my art, and AI generated images. Probably no logic in that, but it’s a fact; I’m enjoying what I’m doing.

Will I write again? This post is part of that answer. You need to write to be able to write.

The web site is www.myusagifts.com. The company is USA Gifts. The focus was originally on southwest states and southwest designs. My fascination with New Mexico continues. These are printed products based on digital designs. I’m now creating looks to represent the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Texas, and Oklahoma. Six states that link southwest designs, Native American images, and Hispanic cultures into a diverse and dynamic grouping of products and looks.

Some recent responses from book readers to new customers have been both encouraging and heartwarming.

It is an ever-changing world, some good, some bad; but still a world we want to be in and find ways to be creative.

Dreams and Hopes

Selling art and selling books feels like the same world. You, as an artist or writer, are a small drop in the huge ocean. Thousands, or maybe millions, of artists and writers around the world are creating and selling their stuff; often very good stuff. Dominating the whole process are these large, nee huge, web sites who sell art and books—best and biggest example; Amazon. In the art world there are FineArtAmerica and ArtPal along with many more. They are very functional with huge data bases of art ready for the consumer to browse and chose great looking art and products for their personal use at relatively small prices. The artist gets a small (very small?) piece of that sale.

My ebooks are exclusive to Amazon for several good reasons; some economic and some convenience. The largest cost for marketing my Amazon books is paying Amazon to promote them in this sea of competing books. I don’t know the number of indie authors Amazon has as an exclusive, but it has to be hundreds of thousands. Their product ads are sold to this somewhat captive audience. It’s a brilliant business strategy. Now, of course, those authors chose to be in this situation so it is not Amazon’s fault that it works better for them than the authors; that’s just how it is. I’m not particularly happy with this system but don’t know how it should be changed. Of course the obvious solution is fewer authors—but if they started excluding certain authors –I might be gone. So, that’s not a good solution.

When I first started writing, maybe ten years ago or so; I was deeply absorbed by the writing experience. It was hard work (which I think surprises non-writers), but I enjoyed the whole troubling process. Even the editing and debates over cover design. Everything felt important and creative. Having those first books show up on Amazon and start generating sales and reviews was thrilling. I fretted over every negative review and redoubled my efforts to write a perfect book.

Now I spend more time marketing/promoting than I do writing. It doesn’t feel productive.

The art has many of the same characteristics as writing. Creating art is energizing. I can become absorbed in the process. Sometimes I will labor on artwork for hours and hours; or sometimes it is more inspiration than perspiration. I once did a sketch in a matter of minutes as a present for my brother’s birthday. We were headed out for the party and realized we had not purchased a gift. I did a quick charcoal sketch and thought it was one of the best pieces I had ever done. My brother loved it—of course, he was my brother.

Marketing art is worse than books. While the web sites have many tools, they are not the equivalent of Amazon and books. My art is purchased for decorating. Colors, designs, hues, blends, shapes all have some aspect in the decision process but in odd ways the art is all the same. A book is very distinct, good or bad—it is usually unique. Art starts to all blend together in shapes and colors. Does this match my sofa? How would this look in the hallway? Those are valid decisions but very subjective.

My art is bold, graphical and colorful. One critic, who actually liked my stuff, described it as “primitive.” He was describing a certain art style not suggesting I was ape like (or at least, I don’t think so). Books are personal but art is very, very personal. A good PI mystery can be enjoyable even if your preference is sci-fi. Art seems to fit into narrower and narrower categories. “I only like pictures of flowers or birds!”

One of the great things about all of the internet stuff and digital this and that is the availability of amazing art and great books at ridiculous prices. You could probably spend a lifetime reading nothing but free books (or maybe up your limit to $2.99) and never run out of options. And there is incredible art for very low prices that can be delivered right to your door—ready to hang. My art is available on towels, handbags, face masks, pillows, shower curtains(?), and on and on. Unique art on anything and everything.

***I know it’s my own design–but I bought this pillow and I really like it.***

All of this access is good; but I wonder if there is too much of something does it start to lose value. A thousand free e-books on Amazon today may lessen the value of those books, or even all books. The best-selling book last week was the tell-all gossip book about Trump by his niece. I’m sure someone thought that was an important book (maybe the niece, since it sold a million copies in one day at full price). That book had value because it was unique or sensational; but a free mystery book has little value—so why even bother downloading if its worthless, much less take the time to read it.

The plus side to all of this is a monstrous marketplace for all sorts of creative endeavors that has never existed before. As a consumer of art or books or most anything creative the supply has never been this vast, this accessible or this cheap.

For the artist and writer, the opportunities have never been this wide open. Pre-internet book publishing was controlled by a very few publishers who had more gate-keepers than editors. The snobbery of publishing was legendary; don’t know someone important, fuck-off. The art world was controlled by academics and a few odd-ball loonies. Not a member of this elite class; then you know –F-off. All of those barriers have collapsed. Today you have to compete with the hordes of other authors and artists, but you are competing. The doors are wide open.

It is still a very small number who reach their financial dreams being creative, but the number of people who can now legitimately dream of that kind of success is almost unlimited. Dreams and hope have great value. We are lucky we live in this time.

Free the Artists

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before (okay, several times) that my first ambition was to be an artist. I wanted to paint and live in Santa Fe. In most cases I envisioned myself as a very successful artist—in other words, wealthy; so the Santa Fe experience was not exactly starving artist territory. With more than I care to mention years under my belt, I can look back and realize what I really wanted was freedom. Being an artist was freedom of the mind, and being rich was freedom of all of the boring stuff people did to make a living. It was always just a fantasy life. A life seldom achieved by anyone.

Few artists are really free. They are most likely tormented by their failures, which are often on public display. All creative activities are subjective. One person might think your stuff is the best in the world, the next person says it’s trash. Intellectually that is easy to understand; but at some level it hurts to create and have anyone say it’s no good. Creating something, music, art, writing bares a private part of the artist.

During my on again off again activities as an artist, I’ve probably created a few hundred pieces of art; some good, some not so good. When I look at some of this art I did thirty, forty years ago it’s as if someone else did it. I have no memory of the art, or why I painted such a thing. Some of my earliest art was to decorate our house—sure couldn’t afford to buy anything. Here, I will sketch out something and we will tack it the wall, viola—a work of art? One of the strangest was when I decided an old abandoned (thrown away!) piece of barn door suddenly looked like art to me. I hung this very heavy object on our wall—it was okay until it wasn’t, things started to emerge. Decided the door was best left to the trash heap. Good art should not have things crawling on it.

Currently working on photographing all of my art. Hopefully, in the next few months will have most of the “good” stuff available to view (and purchase) in a new art gallery. This will include some digital pieces I did years ago, along with my acrylic paintings and watercolors. I have popped some of the digital work into this blog on occasion.

Once everything is up and running, I will let you know how to view the gallery. For now, there are some images available at www.tedclifton.com/artwork.htm

I have bitched and moaned about the lack of baseball for several months. Well, it looks like there will be baseball in a few weeks. I’ll have to find something else to bitch and moan about—but don’t worry already working on a list.

Have a free book promotion running Monday, July 13^th on Amazon for Santa Fe Mojo. This is the first book in the Vincent Malone series. Malone is one of my favorite characters. A flawed loner who messed up his life by succumbing to his weaknesses. He’s someone who is comfortable being good or bad; based on the circumstances. Should have been a huge success, but with his fatal flaws, he became someone who just gets by. While running away from everything, he rediscovers his worth in Santa Fe, reluctantly helping others.