Is Art School Worth it in the Age of A.I.?

Artists are under attack! This is what we're seeing day in and day out. Professional trained artists are seeing layoffs in record numbers, meanwhile A.I. generated imagery is sitting on the shelves of major retailers. An increasing number of A.I. films are being produced day by day. Video games are using A.I. assets to speed up the development process. This has lead to much uncertainty among professional artists and especially art students. So now we must ask....

Is there a point in pursuing an art degree considering the rise of A.I.?

Before I give my response, let's first see where we are. It seems like everyday, we are in a battle against A.I. Some people are supportive of it, while others are terrified. In particular, artists (singers, producers, illustrators, animators, etc.) have a valid reason to be against A.I. Artificial intelligence has advanced to a point were it is sometimes indiscernible from reality. Even in situations where the tech element is obvious, in most cases, it can be rectified with a few touch ups from actual humans. As such, corporations are more than willing to replace the majority of their human workers with just a few who can work their A.I. models.

In some cases, the big corporations don't care whether the artwork or coloring books on their shelves are produced by A.I. or not. So long as they have products to sell, they aren't concerned. In fact, they probably prefer this to be the case, as its obviously cheaper to purchase and re-sell mass produced A.I. paintings vs. real artwork painted by a professional.

So, where do art students stand in the world of A.I. art?

Well, at this point, I think anyone considering enrolling into an art program in 2025 needs to seriously think about how things are progressing.

Tuition for most traditional 4 year institutions can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. For anyone who isn't financially stable enough to pay out of pocket, that means loans will be necessary to fund the college experience. Then, upon graduation, you'll be entering a world where animation studios are putting their efforts into seeing how far they can push A.I. to make a film look handmade. Gaming companies are hiring people, not to create assets for games, but to use A.I. to create assets for games. Publishing companies are generating books with A.I. art and text instead of hiring writers and illustrators.

Is this the case everywhere? No, obviously not. But even if A.I. were still in it's infancy, I would still recommend more affordable alternatives to attending a 4-year institution to learn about art. Truthfully, the loan argument alone is enough for me to suggest that anyone who wishes to become a professional artist do so outside of a traditional art college. There are so many free and low cost resources available for aspiring artists to learn their desired skills. No one needs to go into debt to learn how to draw, paint, design clothes, or whatever else your heart desires.

We don't know what the future holds and where A.I. art will leave real artists. But for art students looking to begin their art career, the best way to start your journey is to use financially safe options. Of course, everyone should make the best choice for them, whether that be attending an art college or seeking out alternate options. If you want to learn more about budget friendly ways to become a professional artists, I speak more about this topic in this workshop.