Last week we launched the second part of Tomorrow’s blossoms at Christinex Gallery in Sliema.
Our work has earned appreciation from scientists who understand the complexities of AI, yet misconceptions remain about it being purely AI-generated. We want to clarify that while advanced technology and AI tools played a role, the true driving force behind the process was our creative vision, intuition, and decision-making. AI did not create the art on its own; we guided the technology to shape the outcomes. This process wasn’t merely intuitive; we also incorporated datasets from diverse sources, which infused the work with a pop-cultural essence rooted in collective human consciousness. The final product reflects a blend of influences, drawn from the information gathered—whether from Instagram, Flickr, or other sources—alongside our interpretations and the AI’s capabilities.
AI should be viewed as a medium, not a creator—akin to paint or clay. It is a tool that can be skillfully manipulated to craft something distinctive, with the significant difference that it is intelligent, like a powerful box of crayons. Technology helped us bring our ideas to life, but it was our team that determined the narrative, style, and final presentation.
We employed various techniques, merging digital manipulation, analog drawings, and AI-generated elements, resulting in a fusion of human and technological craftsmanship rather than mere machine output. AI alone cannot provide context, theme, or meaning. In this project, we aimed to teach the AI to evoke emotions such as fear and pain by gathering data from diverse sources, including the audience—everyone who contributed on platforms like Instagram and Flickr. This data helped us craft a narrative, weaving together elements to produce a cohesive film.
Our collaboration with AI was an iterative and dynamic process. It wasn’t about letting technology generate art on its own; rather, we experimented, refined, and revisited ideas continually, inputting concepts, generating responses, and enhancing the results step by step. This evolving journey led us to acquire new skills and knowledge not readily available online, as the technology is still emerging. It required deep exploration, collaboration with experts like Dr. Dalli, contributions from team members such as my brother, and a range of tutorials, as well as the development of new techniques tailored to our discoveries.
It is crucial to understand that while AI supports storytelling, it does not tell the story itself. The technology has its limitations, and learning to embrace those constraints and distortions became a valuable part of our creative process. This journey affirmed the validity of our approach. Ultimately, AI is a creative tool, not a replacement for human artistry, and educating audiences about this distinction is essential for fostering a deeper understanding of our work. The works you see in the collection in the link below are the product of research about what you shared about your emotions on the internet in pictures, our interpretation and AI as a tool.
