This article includes an interview with Jeroen van der Most, who will speak at the TNW conference on June 21. The full event schedule can be found here.
The boom in generative AI is a double-edged sword for artists. On the one hand, the technology threatens to replace the future jobs of human artists, while at the same time exploiting their old work as training data without compensation.
On the other hand, artificial intelligence provides artists with new, powerful tools. For Jeroen van der Most, they also give strength to his latest theme: vegetables.
The Dutchman is a pioneer of AI art. His portfolio goes back far before the current text-to-image madness that has been sparked by VON-E 2Midjourney and Stable diffusion.
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Van der Most (aka Most) also has technical expertise from previous work in data scienceIn 2010, he decided to refocus these skills. “I lacked creativity and inspiration,” Most tells TNW.
He began his new career by using algorithms to rework Dutch masters such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Since then, his art has included non-partisan politics, Climate change and now the food we eat. He calls his latest work “The Vegetable Vendetta.”
Designed as an AI installation, The Vegetable Vendetta invites visitors to scan potatoes or broccoli with a camera. The scan then generates films that mimic advertisements from companies like McDonald's and Nestlé – with vegetables in the lead roles.
The project focuses the lens on our broken food system.
Revenge for vegetables
Overly processed ingredients, an obesity epidemic and unsustainable supply chains have insidiously spread across diets and the planet. All of these problems are driven by big brands with huge marketing budgets. Independent suppliers and local producers simply cannot compete with their promotional power.
AI can restore this balance. By lowering the barriers to entry for visual creativity, the technology can democratize access to premium advertising.
Most wants to prove that AI can also empower smaller players. He describes The Vegetable Vendetta as “Destroyer” of the marketing dominance of the food giants.
His system works by first extracting a vegetable from the camera image. The image is then transformed by programs such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Kaiber and Runway.
Algorithms then insert cinematic scenes and spectacular environments. The finished film combines persuasiveness with first-class video production. Potatoes and broccoli mingle with beautiful people on happy occasions in glamorous locations.
The inconspicuous vegetables become exotic objects of desire. You can watch the transformation for yourself in the following video:
The future of AI art
The Vegetable Vendetta shows the positive impact AI can have on art. However, most recognize that Calculation creativity also has disadvantages.
“Tech companies are seizing too much power and potentially taking it away from the creatives who provided the input for AI models,” he says. “The power to create with AI by anyone also leads to complacency and the rapid production of a lot of mediocre content.”
AI could also dilute artisanal creativity. On the other hand, it opens creative doors for people without technical skills or training.
“It is a big mistake to think that art is only about performance,” says Most.“Art is a continuous cycle of reinvention of what art is. This is exactly what AI can enable.”
As for the future of art, Most wants to see what happens when AI achieves “superintelligence.” He also expects quantum computers to unleash new creative forms.
“Philosophically, there is so much in it that will seep into our societies,” he says. “The future will be much stranger than we imagine.”
Jeroen van der Most is one of many tech luminaries who will be attending this year’s TNW Conference taking place in Amsterdam on June 20th and 21st. If you would like to attend, we have a special offer for our readers. Use the code TNWXMEDIA at checkout to get 30% off your Business ID, Investor Passport or startup packages (Bootstrap and Scaleup). We also offer 50% discount for the Women in Technology Ticket.
