It's been a big (and controversial) year for artificial intelligence.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Ah, AI. Unlike NFTs, generative artificial intelligence has proven to be more than a passing fad since it burst onto the digital scene a couple of years ago. Since then, the progress of models such as Midjourney and Sora has been mind-blowing, for better or worse.
Like in previous years, Creative Bloq's most AI read stories have featured a heady mix of genuinely impressive tech reveals, and fierce controversy. With concerns around ethics and copyright rife, not to mention the existential threat to jobs, AI continues to be a contentious issue. Here, in reverse order, are the most read AI stories on Creative Bloq from 2024. For more of the most popular stories from last year, take a look at the most read logo and rebrand stories.
10. Adobe's new AI audio tools are a game changer for video editors
(Image credit: Adobe)
While most AI stories involve visual art, Adobe released a bunch of audio tools for Premiere Pro this year. With a focus on simplifying the workflow, Adobe's interactive fade handles, AI-powered audio tagging and AI-assisted sound balancing have seriously impressed users.
09. Incomprehensible AI images in scientific paper justify our worst fears
(Image credit: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology)
One place where AI imagery would never pass muster, of course, is in a scientific article. Scientific work is peer reviewed to ensure its validity, so a journal would never be able to print a paper full of obvious AI-generated nonsense, right?
08. School competition AI art winner sparks heated debate
(Image credit: Tuanzi Chong via Facebook)
A secondary school in Taiwan withdrew the top prize for digital art in its teacher-student art show after it was pointed out that the winning entry had been made with text-to-image generative AI. And the incident has sparked intense debate among education authorities and experts.
07. AI art is only a threat if we let "prompt-jockeys" take control
(Image credit: Martin Nebelong)
Martin Nebelong argues that images based on text prompts alone are artistically poor, and that the 'slot machine' effect is very widespread in generative AI tools, meaning very rarely do you get anything out that resembles the image you had in your mind as you were going in.
06. This AI tool roasts your Instagram account (and I’m feeling very judged)
(Image credit: My Insta Personality/Oyale Peter)
Have you ever wanted to get an outside perspective on your carefully crafted Instagram account? Well, My Insta Personality is here to pick apart your profile, using AI to scan your selfies and offer a personality deep dive – whether you're after some gentle constructive feedback or a scathing roast of your life's most intimate moments.
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05. Microsoft's new AI tool is a deepfake nightmare machine
It almost seems quaint to remember when all AI could do was generate images from a text prompt. Over the last couple of years generative AI has become more and more powerful, making the jump from photos to videos with the advent of tools like Sora. And now Microsoft has introduced a powerful tool that might be the most impressive (and terrifying) we've seen yet.
04. People are "blatantly stealing my work," AI artist complains
(Image credit: Jason Allen / AI-generated via Midjourney)
Back in 2022 when AI image generators were novel and interesting, a piece of AI art gained some notoriety after it won a fine art competition at the Colorado State Fair. Artists were incensed, and the incident became a bit of a poster story for the debate around the merits of AI art and how it should be treated. It also went on to become a test case for the question of whether AI art can be copyrighted. And that issue isn't done and dusted yet.
03. Artist's guide to how to spot AI images is essential reading
(Image credit: Peter Chiykowski)
02. Leaked Midjourney artist database could be a moment of reckoning for AI art
(Image credit: Midjourney)
Ever since generative AI models entered the mainstream in 2022, controversy has plagued the tech. Questions surrounding ethics and copyright have only increased in ferocity in recent months. And this year, a leaked database titled 'Midjourney Style List' was found to contain the names of over 16,000 artists whose work the generative model is believed to have been trained on, provoking anger online.
01. Viral Flux AI images look terrifyingly real
(Image credit: Secret_Ad8613 via Reddit / AI-generated)
Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
