A couple of weeks ago I saw several artists spewing vitriol on an acquaintance’s post because it was illustrated with an AI-generated image. As an artist, I can understand their frustration. But those artists-against-AI-art rants leave me shrugging and shaking my head.

To specify, I’m writing about situations when AI-generated art is used by folks like me: bloggers or social media posters who are looking for a quick way to illustrate an idea. We’re not trying to generate income directly from the images.

I have different feelings and opinions about situations where the AI-generated art is offered for sale. That belongs in another post, and I’m still forming my opinions there.

When I use a MidJourney image to illustrate a piece of writing, I’m not cutting into any artist’s slice of the pie.

First, I don’t have the budget…

What’s happened around the bird feeder in my back yard shows a good example of how some people are not so different from squirrels. But maybe I should only speak for myself.

A couple little fellas were hell-bent on getting to the birdseed. If the squirrels had just waited for the birds to do their thing — they’re kinda messy — the furry guys could have then hopped around and grabbed all they wanted.

Instead, they ripped out the nozzle that rations the seed — the one that also keeps it in the feeder.

Of course, the bandits chose the bottom nozzle. All the seed spilled out onto the ground, leaving themselves and their companions (competitors?) to nudge through the moss and grass, searching for the little bits of life-on-hold that they were so desperate to get their paws on.

It all spilled out, way more than they could eat…