Pioneers of AI Can artists and AI coexist?
Aug 13, 2025
Shantell Martin, an award-winning visual artist renowned for her distinctive black-line drawings, shares her decade-long journey incorporating AI into her art. She dives into the balance between creative control and technology, discussing how AI can amplify artistic expression. Martin highlights the necessity of protecting artists' intellectual property in a digital landscape while addressing ethical considerations surrounding ownership and attribution in AI-generated work. She also introduces innovative solutions like the Legacy platform to empower artists amidst these challenges.
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Mural Lines Measured At MIT
- At MIT Media Lab Shantell drew a mural and later asked a colleague to calculate total line length.
- The mural's combined line length was roughly 1,664 feet, showing her interest in quantifying drawing.
AI As A Tool Depends On Intent
- AI is an addition to an artist's toolkit and can unlock potential when used thoughtfully.
- The tool's value depends on transparent, accountable, and ethical design behind it.
Early Model Training Led To Ownership Fight
- In 2015–16 Shantell trained a model on 400 of her drawings and used a robot arm to generate work for a gallery show.
- Her collaborators later claimed ownership of outputs, sparking a legal dispute until she secured a license asserting her input ownership.
