Fort Collins Digital Camera Club

You are invited to join us on ZOOM for the "Synthetic Photography SIG". I expect that this will be a controversial SIG as the topic of AI generated art seems to polarize people into 2 camps, they either love the concept that now they can make beautiful art or they hate the idea that "unskilled" people can make better art than they can. I am sure that we will have different views, but I hope that we can get along and respect everyone's views. I want to expand the focus of the Synthetic Photography SIG to include other image editing tools and techniques while maintaining our main focus on AI tools and techniques.

"I Disapprove of What You Say, But I Will Defend to the Death Your Right to Say It" - Evelyn Beatrice Hall (not Voltaire)

ATTENDEES
Mike Barry
Mark Bolles
Chris Johnson
Jim Limburg
Rich Ernst
... (I forgot to take roll, so I guessed)

1. We discussed the Youtube video "What is the future of Art?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5YlreKsUGY

2. We discussed AI and Universal Basic Income

3. We discussed questions, ethics, techniques, what is happening with AI in general
Mark is learning Spanish with help from AI
Mark has been generating music using AI and will experiment with simulating existing artists.
Rich will demo AI presets at the next meeting.

4. Discuss what we want to do for next time
We are going to talk about Photoshop and Lightroom AI tools or special effects. We can include other tools that use AI if you don't have Photoshop and Lightroom. How can AI make my photos better?

RESOURCES (Where you can find sources of inspiration)

'Theft Is Theft': Disney, NBC Go After AI Firm Midjourney For 'Blatant' Piracy
https://tiny.iavian.net/24jzc
recommended by Mark Bolles

Photoshop Action - Crop to subject
https://youtu.be/NQ8bEISDvJc?si=1SryPYp4c4T1SmRO
This is a video to batch crop and keep the subject centered. It is a little complex but explains the process and issues.
recommended by Jim Limburg

What is the future of Art?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5YlreKsUGY

Will AI replace human jobs and make universal basic income necessary?
Here's what AI leaders have said about UBI.
https://www.businessinsider.com/universal-basic-income-ai#geoffrey-hinton-6

An Honest Discussion About A Universal Basic Income https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMGAt4EC77w

The colossal problem with universal basic income | Douglas Rushkoff | Big Think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m25YLByFVRw

Why a Universal Basic Income Won’t Work | The Human Prosperity Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyqv9pXKi1s

Universal basic income is a brilliant idea'. Here's why. | Yanis Varoufakis | Big Think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8B4U7o9kvg

AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT SYNTHETIC PHOTOGRAPHY SIG MEETING - Tue 8/3/2025 @6:00pm
1. Discuss Wall-Worthy composite or collage images and other images that we have created with AI or editing tools.
2. Rich will demo AI presets
3. Discuss AI tools that make our photos better
4. Discuss questions, ethics, techniques, what is happening with AI in general
5. Decide what we want to do at the next meeting

If there is anything related to AI that you would like to discuss at our SIG meeting, please email me so I can add them to our agenda.

Please email Mike, info@fcdcc.com, when you find mistakes, missing information or if you have suggestions for the Synthetic Photography SIG and I will try to address the issues.

--------------------------- results from ZOOM -----------------------

Meeting summary for FCDCC Synthetic Photography SIG Zoom Meeting (07/01/2025)

Quick recap
The group explored the value of art and the impact of AI on artistic creation, discussing how traditional art value is often tied to reputation rather than intrinsic quality and examining the potential of AI-generated art. They delved into the capabilities and implications of generative AI in art, including ethical considerations and environmental concerns related to AI usage. The discussion concluded with conversations about AI's impact on employment, society, and technology, including its role in creating new career opportunities and its growing presence in everyday life.

Next steps
Mark: Share the Camera Club song audio file with Rich for potential website use
Mark: Investigate if the AI music generation tool can create songs in specific artist styles and report findings back to the group
Mark: Explore collaboration opportunities with Judy for AI-generated music in her videos before his subscription expires
Rich: Prepare to demonstrate how to use AI-based dynamic presets and masking features in Photoshop/Lightroom at the next meeting
Mike: Lead discussion on AI tools in Photoshop and Lightroom for next month's meeting
Mike: Find relevant videos about AI tools in photography for discussion at the next meeting Mark: Explore and report back on using AI tools for learning Spanish
Mark: Share experience with AI studio tools at the next meeting
Team: Attend the picnic at Fossil Creek Park next Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Team: Experiment with AI tools in their respective photo editing software to discuss at the next meeting

Summary

Art Value and AI Impact
The group discussed the value of art and the impact of AI on artistic creation. They explored how traditional art value is often tied to reputation and context rather than intrinsic quality, using examples like Rauschenberg's white paintings and Ahmaud Lewis's primitive art. The conversation also touched on the potential of AI-generated art, noting that while AI can create impressive works, the story and context behind the art remain crucial for its value. Jim and Mike shared their thoughts on universal basic income and its implications for society, while Rich contributed to the discussion on art valuation and the arbitrary nature of currency value.

Generative AI in Art Discussed
The group discussed the capabilities and implications of generative AI in art, focusing on its potential to create new images and its impact on traditional art forms. Mike explained how AI models like "Lauras" can be trained on multiple images to generate new content, while Rich and Jim explored the ethical and practical considerations of AI-generated art, including its acceptance in art contests and galleries. The conversation also touched on the environmental concerns surrounding AI usage, particularly in relation to power consumption during training versus local generation.

AI Energy Consumption and Impact
The group discussed the energy consumption of AI, with Jim noting that training AI models like GPT-3 uses substantial electricity, equivalent to 1,287 megawatt hours, which is comparable to the electricity consumption of countries like Kenya or Croatia. They compared this to the energy used by electric cars, with Rich sharing that his plug-in hybrid gets 50 miles on a 10-11 kilowatt hour charge, equivalent to 0.2 kilowatt hours per mile. The discussion concluded with Mike raising concerns about AI potentially replacing human workers across various industries, while Christopher shared his experience of eliminating lower-level positions in government offices due to staff retention issues.

AI's Impact on Employment and Society
The group discussed the impact of AI on employment and society. Christopher shared that while AI has created a paperless environment, it hasn't reduced workload, and some displaced workers have found new jobs. Mike presented concerns about AI's role in job displacement, citing a Business Insider article where tech leaders suggested universal basic income as a solution. The group debated the merits of universal basic income, with Christopher and Rich expressing concerns about its potential to disincentivize work. They also discussed AI's role in creating new career opportunities and its growing presence in everyday life, including targeted advertising and scams. Jim shared that young professionals he knows use AI daily in their work and don't see it as a significant threat to employment. AI's Impact on Employment and Innovation The group discussed the impact of automation and AI on employment, with Mike and Jim exploring how robots and AI could replace many jobs, particularly those requiring minimal skill. They debated the implications of universal basic income and whether society should prioritize energy use for people or machines. Mark shared an article about Amazon's use of robots in warehouses, and the conversation touched on the potential for AI to create new concepts, with Mike citing examples of AI-generated artwork. The discussion concluded with Mark and Rich agreeing that while AI can process and combine existing information, it may not be capable of truly original thinking or solving complex problems like cancer research.

AI Companions and Creative Expression
The group discussed AI technology, including robots, chatbots, and AI companions. They explored the implications of AI companions on human relationships and society. Mark shared a song he created using AI, which generated lyrics and music based on a prompt about the Fort Collins Digital Camera Club. The song was well-received by the group, who appreciated the creativity and technical skill involved in its creation.

AI Music Generation Tool Demo
Mark demonstrated an AI music generation tool that creates custom songs, including one for a racetrack family, and discussed its capabilities and limitations. The group explored potential applications of AI-generated music, including its use for website background music, with Rich suggesting it could be used as a theme song for their website. Mike raised concerns about the potential impact of AI on artists and performers, while Mark noted that the tool provides clear song structure and lyrics. The conversation concluded with Mark offering to share his account access with Judy for creating music for her videos, though Mike suggested she might already have access to free music libraries on YouTube.

Drone Regulations and Copyright Challenges
The group discussed the limitations and regulations surrounding drone usage, particularly focusing on copyright laws regarding buildings and public spaces. Mark shared his experiences as a licensed drone pilot, highlighting the strict FAA regulations and the challenges of capturing footage in public areas. They also touched on the potential for AI to train on new data collected by drones, though the legality and practicality of such endeavors were questioned. The conversation concluded with a brief discussion about creating composites, where Jim mentioned difficulties in working with certain file formats and software incompatibilities.

AI, Photography, and Language Learning
The group discussed various topics including AI-generated content, photography, and language learning. Mark shared his experience with creating AI-generated music and his efforts to learn Spanish using AI tools. He also presented photos from a recent racing event and described his plan to promote and sell his photography through a contest on social media. The group explored different platforms and tools for selling and sharing photos, with Mark mentioning his use of a content delivery network called Bunny.net. They also briefly discussed an upcoming picnic event.

AI Photography Tools Discussion
The group discussed various AI tools and features in photography software, particularly focusing on Photoshop and Lightroom. Rich shared his experience with AI presets and plugins, while Mark and Mike discussed the use of AI for denoising and sharpening images. The conversation also touched on the capabilities of mobile phone cameras and computational photography. Mark shared a song he created for a young race car driver, which led to a brief discussion about racing. The group agreed to explore AI tools in Photoshop and Lightroom further in their next meeting.

AI-generated content may be inaccurate or misleading. Always check for accuracy.