Abstract
The discipline of editorial illustration from commission, through production into publication is perceived as being under threat from artificial intelligence (AI). In a swiftly moving technological shift that seeks to revolutionize task-based work, are editorial illustrators in danger of losing out to machine-based learning algorithms because copyright law considers originality as an embodiment of the author’s personality? Do publishers of periodicals like newspapers, magazines and journals see opportunities to radically alter and potentially streamline their pre-production models of content handling by removing creators from the pressurized publication cycle? Is this the final nail in the coffin of editorial illustration as a worthy, noble pursuit that has been a cornerstone for the accountability and transparency of curated content in print and digital editions? This paper considers issues of plausibility and proximity of editorial illustration in relation to creative experiences for commissioners and makers, arguing that human presence at every step of the process is vital to the way that communicative content is constructed, received and digested. The authors consider how readers emotive responses to published content risk being undermined by the over-reliance on AI technologies, losing opportunities for empathetic responses to published editorial content and highlighting potential ethical issues including assumed racial and gender bias, and inbuilt prejudices formed from the origination and development of some AI interfaces by developers.
Presenters
Andrew SelbyAssociate Professor, School of Design and Creative Arts, Loughborough University, United Kingdom Mario Minichiello
Professor, Visual Communication Design, The University of Newcastle, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Images and Imaginaries from Artificial Intelligence
KEYWORDS
Editorial Illustration, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning
