AI and art have offered some engaging critiques within our technology-saturated world. While some believe it can engage viewers and create a fresh, innovative experience, others believe that it diminishes the creative outputs unique to humans.
Bring Me The Horizon (BMTH), a British rock band with lead vocalist Oli Sykes, faced backlash in a recent live show that used AI-generated visuals, per reports by Creative Bloq.
In a video shared on TikTok, commenters expressed their disinterest in the AI component of the band's work.
@officialbmth demoncore #bmth #bringmethehorizon #moshtok #livemusic #ontour ♬ AmEN! (feat. Lil Uzi Vert, Daryl Palumbo & Glassjaw) - Bring Me The Horizon
"Been listening to yall for over 10 years, this is not it," one user commented.
The use of AI goes beyond the authenticity of the artistic medium. Contemporary critics are also deterred by the environmental cost of using AI in shows. Where the environment has seen tremendous innovation through advanced models, the sheer amount of energy needed to accompany AI has been seen as needless, especially when consumers do not seem to enjoy its accompaniment.
Pioneering research examining the amount of energy AI uses has brought these critical conversations forward. A study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that AI language models are not very energy-intensive, whereas producing AI images — which BMTH was doing — uses an extensive amount of energy.
Large and powerful AI tools used to generate images can be responsible for roughly as much energy usage as driving the equivalent of 4.1 miles in an average gasoline-powered car, according to the study.
Sasha Luccioni, the researcher behind the study, is advocating for consumers to practice caution. Luccioni told the MIT Technology Review that she hopes people will "be choosier about when they use generative AI and opt for more specialized, less carbon-intensive models where possible."
BMTH's move to use AI live proved regrettable, especially in the eyes of art connoisseurs and environmentally conscious individuals.
"No," a fan commented on TikTok. "Feels like a slap in the face for the super talented artists who have worked with them."
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