Apologies for the double email.

You can unsubscribe if you want.

I never send two emails in a week, but I needed to write about this because it won’t be relevant next week.

You know what I’m talking about.

Those bloody ChatGPT-generated action figures.

They are everywhere. And they are shite.

A couple of weeks ago, ChatGPT launched 4o Image Generation, the platform’s answer to competitors like Midjourney for image generation.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this update had sparked one of the biggest upticks in ChatGPT usage ever. I see AI-generated images everywhere, and I am happy about it.

I am happy about it because it’s created the perfect case study for why AI image generation is absolutely shite.

Sameness is the enemy of art

In the last few days, I must have seen hundreds of AI-generated images of action figures. People are using the platform to turn themselves into little plastic people, inside packaging with their favorite things as accessories.

You, like me, probably had the same reaction. The first couple I saw, I thought: “Oh, cool.” And then moved on with my day.

But now, my entire social media feed is filled with them. Especially LinkedIn.

It’s annoying me.

And it’s annoying you too.

And you know why?

Because it’s boring.

And it’s the same as everyone else.

And this is why tools like ChatGPT will never replace human art.

Craig has just pointed out to me that it’s ironic that people are creating action figures. They are unknowingly commodifying themselves, turning a photo and prompt into a perfectly packaged item that’s the same as everyone else.

There is some sweet satire in that.

Who needs Black Mirror season 7? We’re living it.

The art we create as human beings is unique to us. No one writes exactly like me, and no one can draw exactly like me.

French Modernist Henri Matisse painted hundreds of works in his time, but the below early iteration of ‘The Dance’ that I saw at MOMA in New York in 2023 took my breath away.

I was obsessed with this painting. No one else could have done it, but someone could copy it and probably do a perfect job.

But art isn’t about the execution of perfection, it’s about coming up with the idea in the first place and the journey to get there.

I am not against generative AI or even ChatGPT; I use them every day. They help me check references and write alt text. These tools should support us in making art, not as a means of shortcutting the creative process.

And this action figure trend is the perfect case study for proving my point. It’s only interesting when one person does it. Then it’s boring, and it quickly becomes very, very annoying.

There’s no point to it.

And that makes me happy, because it shows it’ll never replace human art.

Share

💌 About this email

I’m Ellen, and I write about mental health for the chronically online. I am a freelance copywriter, strategist and web designer, and I work from home with my husband, Craig, at Content By The Sea. We have two rescue greyhounds, Potter and Harmony, and a toddler.

I started this newsletter in March 2020 and have sent over 200(!) emails; currently, I have over 1,300 subscribers. I write about a wide variety of topics, including diet culture, my love of running, jealousy, my life falling apart, mam guilt, and this dystopian world we all live in.

💛 How you can support me

If you like reading my weekly emails, you can give me a kickback in one or more of the following ways:

📨 Share this post

Share

📬 Subscribe for free (if you haven’t already!)

💬 Leave a comment on this newsletter

Leave a comment