AI or No, It’s Always Too Soon to Sound the Death Knell of Art

Dec 27, 2022 6:00 AMWhen the camera arrived on the scene, painters declared art dead. Sound familiar?Illustration: Getty Images

Just months after an early type of photograph called a daguerreotype was announced to the world, there was a funny illustration from Paris. In his imagination, the daguerreotype would bring about a hysteria in which crazed people from all over the world descend on a small photo studio. Some in the crowd want pictures of themselves, but others want cameras to take their own pictures, and still others want to look at all the crazy things. Railroad cars, a clock tower, and a basket for a hot air balloon are just some of the things that come to mind when you hear the clamor. Artists hung themselves when the crowds passed by half a dozen gallows because of the daguerreotype's appearance. People don't notice.

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