It's a rant about how hard it really is for new artists to get a name for themselves now than before AI an algorithms were a thing.
The overbearing algorithm that rules the social media is part of the problem. Generally, content that keep an audience glued to the site longer and engaged get more exposure and this benefits extend to their respective authors. Once a content is published, there's a small window of seconds to minutes that it's going to be on top of someone's random feed before it fades into obscurity given the high traffic of content being published around the same time and competing for the spotlight.
So your pretty picture has to generate some likes / views / comments and other forms of engagement to convince the algorithm that it's worth something and therefore needs to be put longer on a spotlight until it doesn't. This where small content creators struggle with because their works are never going to be readily accessible on a lot of people's feed due to low follow count. That's why big creators eventually get bigger because it's a positive feedback loop as the algorithm is convinced that as more followers of that creator can see and interact with their new content, it will get more screen time even on discovery searches and recommended lists for non-followers.
Do you see why it's a steep hill for small creators even if their content is something you find amazing? as long as it doesn't reach the threshold interactions, the algorithm will just push it back to obscurity.
The algorithm also picks favorites based on usage of the platforms new features. Remember with Instagram introduced reels? shot video content got more exposure and creators have to adapt to the changes or fade. From static pictures of how to do this art style to a few seconds of time lapsed videos showing the exact same thing. It's not that the core of the content changed, it's just the manner of delivery that does and the algorithm rewards the author for it. I noticed pattern since the reels became a thing the number of random accounts interacting with my IG dropped in frequency but it's not like I got a lot of organic followers to begin with. There's probably more bots and dead accounts on my follower count than real people.
Whoever pumps out content regularly and generates a lot of impressions per content gets the cake. The algorithm will reward accounts that produce content that keeps more users scrolling for more. In the field of art, the reason why generated AI images and their authors have an edge is how relatively good on first impressions the images look without undergoing scrutiny from an experienced artists. It's not we can expect the average person to distinguish the flaws in anatomy and lighting on a piece at a first glance because it's just see a picture I want I press like. And people online generally don't have the attention span or want to be burdened by the small details. So what if it's AI? it looks like a hot chick I'll like. And you amplify this attitude to countless users interacting with the same author and their content, you get the algorithm convinced it's worth something.
Artists that don't rely on prompt making and button smashing are at a disadvantage because works that are created with a soul take more time which the algorithms don't have the slightest fucks to give in their decision making. It's always favoring accounts that produce piece that get more accounts engaged and generated from images can be made within a short amount of time while the artist is struggling with an art block.
This is the game. Those AI artists are playing it better and the algorithm is in their favor but this is still the game.
Looking back, I keep repeating the same cycle of regret at which I should've just done something sooners and more before in the past before the advent of AI. Starting to make a name for yourself as an artist out there is much harder now than it is before because of the algorithm game. And this don't mix well with creativity because it's not a question of whether you're making art for the algorithms or for the people you really want to reach your art with?
2000-2019 era was the golden age where hobby artists got a better shot and making a name for themselves because it was skill that can bring people more eyes to their work and on the front of the trending page. Now it's just who can prompt a pretty picture faster and some people that don't use AI on popular art sites like Deviantart.
If anyone is interested in mainstream digital art space news, you probably encountered news like prominent artist X reveals they are using AI on their workflow, how shocking. But I see it as a symptom of artists adapting to the game and it's even more pressing to see the artists engaged with this activity are already established enough that they don't even need AI aid.
And still, even with this climate I find myself head banging the wall just doing my self study art hobby because it's still an adapt or fade away. Get good, get better than whatever the AI comes up with or find a style crafted with a story of your own creativity. There's no stopping AI since it's already out there. You do you.
Thanks for your time.
