“We know we aren’t going to please everyone all the time.”
L.S. Dunes have responded to online criticism to their new video, which was created by an artist using AI technology.
The clip for Old Wounds, a teaser for which was released on Tuesday and named Lost Souls, was made by visual artist IAMMETHISISI, known for their generative art.
AI has been criticised for its reduction of opportunities for human artists, and for its training, which "learns" by reading and analysing thousands of pieces of copyrighted work without permission or compensation for the original creators. Fans were quick to criticise the band's use of it over hiring a more traditional creator with whom to collaborate.
One user commented, "Why did you pay some IG person to plug some stuff into Midjourney and call themselves an artist instead is supporting a real artist with your art..Super disappointed. Using AI art cheapens your own art."
Another added, "i love y'all and have followed your individual careers for almost 2 decades – commissioning someone to plug a prompt into a generator that feeds from millions of actual art pieces isn't art. reconsider this."
The band have now written a statement, in which they not only defend their decision as part of a desire to collaborate with whichever artists feel right, but also that the themes of the song worked with what IAMMETHISISI was coming up with.
“L.S. Dunes and its collective members have been longtime supporters and advocates of artists of all kinds,” the statement read. “Over the years, we have commissioned art pieces from well-known professional artists, unknown semi-professional artists, and fans of the band just starting out and creating things for fun.
“We have searched out these talented artists that inspire us from all walks of life and worked with them in a multitude of different ways, showcasing their work on as large a platform as we could provide.
“The conversation surrounding generative art draws a parallel to that in many ways. It’s clear that our vision for this particular video has sparked a dialogue of opposing views, and got people thinking and talking and feeling without even seeing the entire video. Isn’t that what art should do?
“Love it or hate it, the choice is yours – as it should be. We know we aren’t going to please everyone all the time.”
The full video drops tomorrow.
