How I Create Ethically with AI–(when I choose to use it)

It’s not secret, I’m not a huge fan of AI. However, I do choose to use it for a few things when necessary.

I prefer to create my composite images by myself. I like knowing I have the creative skills to make something unique without a machine doing the work for me. But sometimes I need an image that I don’t have access to, or a background I can’t create myself. That’s when I use AI.

BUT I never auto-generate an image right within my document–I don’t let it do the work for me. I always treat the image as a separate item, extract it from the background, and then add it to my composite as if I had purchased it, or taken it myself.

For Emerging from Metamorphosis, above, I came up with the idea in my own brain. Then I took an image of myself in the pose I wanted to use. In this case, me on my unmade bed, hanging upside down-ish.

Next, I asked AI to remove my shirt. I know, it sounds risqué, but it was actually much less risqué than having to wear a tube top and try and photograph myself. PLUS it saved SO much time to do it this way! Seriously, the whole thing took 15 minutes to shoot and remove the clothes.

Next I had AI create a chrysalis with wings coming out the bottom–something I don’t have access to photograph myself. And then I personally photographed some tree branches in my backyard for the background.

The rest was created by skill in Photoshop. I extracted each image from its background, placed them, adjusted hue, saturation, curves, highlights, shadows, etc. until I got the look I wanted.

And here you have the finished image below.

To me, ethical creation with AI means I do the heavy lifting and use it for things that I can’t realistically access on my own. That way I don’t rob myself of growth and I can still claim the creation as my own–not because of lack of skill, but because of lack of access.

Because I did all of the composition, had the idea, and facilitated all the adjustments, I can feel good about claiming the image as my creation– even though AI helped a little– because I know, if given each of these images separately, and asked to re-create the final image in a public setting (with people watching), I could confidently recreate it without the help of AI.