The above image was created with DALL-E-2 using the prompt 'the small octopus connects to the colors crystal that connects to the signals hub.' In my book One Man Embassy, there is an extraterrestrial computing technology called a trital. A trital is an octopus-like creature engineered to perform matrix multiplication and other mathematical operations by sending and receiving light patterns through something called a colors crystal and a signals hub.
Here's a quote from One Man Embassy:
"Uhh, here's fine," said Sallycat. "But I still don't get what you mean. Are you trying to tell me that that thing in your hands, that living thing, is somehow being used as a computer?"
Hequa did something in the aquarium with a molknife. "Yes. It was grown to be a computer. Your copy will grow into an identical computer in this water tank in a few days," he said. "How long do you think it will take for you to connect it to the internet?"
"I, uh. How should I know?" asked Sallycat. "Are you sure this isn't some kind of joke? I feel like I'm being set up for something here."
"No joke. The creature is called a trital. They make very strong computers," said Hequa while coaxing the trital back into his flight suit's arm by procedures that were unclear to Sallycat. "The trital connects to the colors crystal, which connects to the signals hub, which connects to the controls and display. I recommend growing your colors crystal with transparent carbon in a zero gravity environment, then allowing your trital to build its own signals hub once it has merged with this colors crystal."
It took a couple dozen tries to produce an AI image that captured the vibe of a trital. It wasn't instant, but I still found satisfactory results in maybe half an hour. To me, this illustrates the power of AI, which people are only beginning to discover. If someone had paid me to illustrate a trital by hand, it would have taken several hours and the results might not even be what they were going for. With AI, the illustration of scifi concepts has become much simpler.
Back when I was eking out a living doing traditional art, I sometimes took on illustration jobs and I hated them. I'd spend tons of time figuring out a job and creating artwork for clients, only to have them change their minds about what they wanted and expect infinite revisions. AI transforms that entire process. In a way, it confines the art of a project to the correct selection of prompts and starting images, automating everything else.
Some artists are up in arms about the automation of their busywork. In practical terms, busywork often equals billable hours, so I understand their objections. But most of the artists that I know are embracing AI art and the new possibilities it creates. Because what is automated isn't creativity itself, but the labor of bringing that creativity to life.
The image generation process may now be largely automated, but the image selection process remains firmly in the artist's control. In this way, artistic discernment is as important as it ever was. The power to select one line over another or one compositional element over another has always been a part of creating visual art. Now, this power of discernment involves selecting one complete image from an endless list of permutations. There's something interesting in that.
Moving forward, I'll keep playing with using AI to illustrate things from my novels. If I can produce enough good art, maybe illustrated versions of my books will come together eventually.
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