Ngl, I was fully expecting the usual doom and gloom talk about AI taking over. But this time, a bunch of real artists were actually selling a lot of work and getting real commissions. There was even a booth that made a point of having a sign that said 'no AI pieces here' and people were really into it.
He compared it to sampling music, but I asked if he'd be okay with someone sampling his voice without permission. The look on his face when he realized it wasn't the same was priceless.
We found common ground on how AI affects creatives.
We sat in a quiet cafe and he explained how AI tools feel like theft to him. That honest talk helped me see the artist's side, which is a win for me.