In August of this year, Jason M. Allen, an American video game designer, won first place at the state event Colorado State Fair Fine Arts CompetitionThis “fine arts exhibition” invites professional and emerging artists from Colorado (United States) to participate for special recognition and various monetary prizes. 

But what made this event stand out from the previous ones was not the call that encourages artists to continue and enhance the exercise of their profession, but that the first place was taken by Allen along with a partner as exceptional as she was unexpected.

Allen's winning entry is titled Théâtre D'opéra Spatial (Space Opera House) and was awarded first place in the category “digital arts/digitally manipulated photography.” But its uniqueness does not come exclusively from Allen, but from his alliance with midjourney, an artificial intelligence (AI) system that produces detailed images from written instructions. 

The impression and realism of AI is such that it invites the artistic field to question the definitions of art, to rediscover itself and to ask itself if it can be replaced by the technological evolution that is currently conquering and surprising the world. 

¿Artificial Intelligence vs. Humans?

After the Industrial Revolution, several jobs became obsolete and were replaced by machines whose objective was to reduce costs and produce in quantity. Although several years have passed since this event, Technological development seems to know no limits and it is feared that the innovations they bring with them will displace (and replace) several jobs. 

Until recently, the artistic sector was not affected or fearful by the new conquest. How can technology/robotics replace something as pure and human as art? The answer has arrived and brought with it a debate that will continue, apparently, for several years. 

In his presentation, Jason Allen made an unexpected impact. midjourney managed to capture a Renaissance “painting.” In an interview with CNN Business, he said he was fascinated by the image. “I think everyone should see it,” he said.

While responses from several users on social media discredited the recognition, For some artists, the dialogue between humans and AI goes beyond competition. 

From his place as a visual artist, Facundo Cabrera He says that art developed by Artificial Intelligence is already art. “Personally, I think that it still has a degree of human intervention that makes it almost another medium for us.” And he adds that “using technological or analog tools to develop the creative aspect does not change the concept art".

For Cabrera, “the difference lies in the problem-solving capacity of each one.” And he concludes: “I believe that human intervention and technology are complementary.”

The human legacy that tells the story

Year after year, century after century, artistic manifestations have marked eras and different historical moments. Each painting, sculpture, photograph and even building portrays what the human species has been experiencing and learning within its culture. 

Is it possible, therefore, to consider Artificial Intelligence and its artistic side as another stage in the history of our species?

While some describe AI and art as “incompatible” and “incomparable,” other professionals such as Allen and Cabrera describe them as “complementary” and “fantastic.” The future of content creation and the manifestation of different meanings has opened a debate that still has no end, but which gives us much to think about. 

While technological development was once seen as a tool at the service of the human species, today it can be seen as another complement that helps to tell the story that it is currently going through. The unanswered question is whether there is an equitable complement or whether one will override the other when it comes to leaving a legacy for future generations. 

To Luis Ramón Espinoza, Corporate Vice President of Technology at Suramericana"Technology is a force that redefines humanity, in a virtuous and rapid cycle, which originates as a result of tireless creativity and the human spirit to create a reality that surpasses the current context in convenience, accuracy, precision or effort."

In this way, the VP maintains, “it manages to impact people and encourages them to improve the quality of life as they understand it.” As a consequence and at the same time a cause - he specifies - “technology accompanies the environment and society. These are three great forces that generate transformations in humanity and that from the Trend and Risk Management we understand as structural.”

Towards digital content and production

The art industry faces a new trend: the creation of content with a completely digital approach. In this sense, the use of virtual reality systems in museums, virtual galleries or other artistic forms, in addition to the use of Instagram and other digital platforms as promotional media, is particularly relevant. 

The Internet has become an omnipresent companion in the lives of audiences: according to the report We are social by Hootsuite, By January 2020, there were already 4.540 billion Internet users, that is, 59% of the world's population.

This undoubtedly changes the way in which people consume and acquire cultural and creative content, leading the actors involved to adapt to trends. According to the Report Artprice World In the global art market, this sector is gaining greater presence on digital platforms: by 2018, 98% of the 6.300 art sales houses in the world were present on the internet, making purchases just a click away. 

In turn, the Computer-aided design, 3D printing and new materials are changing the way products are created.An example of this is the use of mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, to film, edit and broadcast television series or films. This has a major impact on the production chain of creative industries, as the digitalisation of production can contribute to the reduction of design and launch times, as well as allowing for cost reductions. 

To SURA Insurance, technology is consistent with the strategy. Observatories, research and everyday life allow us to approach the reality of people, States, organizations, companies and artists.