Please let this sink in.
Artificial intelligence is seen as a threat to multiple industries, and tattoo experts say it's already leaving its mark on the industry.
Some designers are working on using AI software to create elaborate mockup designs to sculpt onto humans. This work used to be part of the artist's creative work.
“It's just beyond human,” says tattooist Ziggy Tramdak. told the Wall Street Journal. “AI will take over this industry whether we want it to or not.”
“You're essentially cheating,” Matt Doherty, 41, an ink artist from Sicklerville, New Jersey, told the paper.
“It's like playing sports on steroids,” he added.
The sudden rise in popularity of AI language learning models like ChatGPT has made graphic design jobs accessible to anyone, even those who are not considered tech-savvy.
In many programs, users can simply type in some descriptive words and watch the AI render stunningly realistic images within minutes (if not faster).
There is also a specially oriented ChatGPT variation for tattoo design Along with some programs pointed out as well.
But some tattoo seekers believe that something this permanent requires a human touch.
Karina Vuorinen, a 30-year-old dental nurse from Helsinki, Finland, recalled that five hours after getting a tattoo on her lower leg, the artist confessed that the design was AI-driven.
“He was proud in a way,” she told the Journal. “I was shocked. Very disappointed.”
In other cases, customers adopt AI designs by setting unrealistic expectations. Tattoo artist Matthew Hatch recalled one patron asking for a design of an AI galaxy that looked like a giant birthmark.
“There are limits to what you can do,” he says.
