Controversy over using AI to draw ink paintings

Ink wash painting has been around for thousands of years in China, taking a lot of time and brainpower to create. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) can do it in the blink of an eye.

AI Gemini, an AI-controlled robot, is capable of drawing traditional Chinese landscape ink paintings - Photo: Victor Wong

According to CNN , Victor Wong, a multimedia artist living in Hong Kong, has earned tens of thousands of dollars from his AI-drawn ink paintings, but has also received a lot of controversy.

Ink paintings created by artificial intelligence

Wong is a creative artist with a degree in electrical engineering and has created works in areas such as special effects for films, technological art installations, and sculpture.

He created "AI Gemini", an AI-controlled robot capable of painting traditional Chinese landscapes. AI Gemini is not related to Google's AI chatbot of the same name.

3812 Gallery, which represents Wong, calls AI Gemini " the world's first artificial intelligence ink artist."

The robot uses a mechanical arm purchased online and reprogrammed, with an attached paintbrush.

The algorithm will analyze the data, control the robot arm to draw the mountain lines to create a landscape painting on Xuan paper - a traditional type of paper used for drawing.

Wong’s paintings were inspired by China’s landing on the far side of the moon, using information from NASA’s publicly available 3D map of the moon. He has also used data like stock prices, with ups and downs interpreted as mountains and valleys.

The color matching is based on deep learning and is trained on the traditional ink painting style. The amount of water used varies depending on the humidity. It takes AI Gemini about 8 to 10 hours to complete a painting about one square meter in size.

The robot uses a mechanical arm purchased online and reprogrammed, with an attached paintbrush - Photo: Victor Wong

Wong used data like stock prices, with ups and downs interpreted as mountains and valleys - Photo: Victor Wong

Painting with AI is still controversial

Since launching AI Gemini, Wong has exhibited in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei and London.

He said his paintings have sold for around $20,000 to private collectors. Wong has also collaborated on projects with businesses such as Hong Kong's iconic Cathay Pacific Airways.

The use of AI to create artwork remains controversial.

Earlier this year, more than 6,500 people signed an open letter calling on Christie's New York to cancel an auction dedicated solely to works created by technology.

The auction went ahead anyway, raising $729,000. Critics said the AI-generated art lacked originality, and artists complained that it relied on copyrighted images.

For his part, Wong maintains that the paintings he and AI Gemini create are original, but also says that exhibition visitors will still sometimes exclaim, "This is not art!"

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tranh-cai-khi-dung-ai-ve-tranh-thuy-mac-20250527153247492.htm