No AI can replace you as a cartoonist or comedic writer, speaker or all-around genuinely funny fellow.
Your art is inimitable, Bob. You capture the essence of a person in your drawings. The people are recognizable and impeccably portrayed. The essence of your talents can't be duplicated. Creative lives!
I've heard again and again that, given the obstacles to publication, the only joy you should expect to get as a writer (or cartoonist, etc.) is from the creative process itself. The rise of AI underscores this. Grim, indeed.
We have heard since the 60s that robots would take our jobs. All we needed was one episode of The Jetsons to know it. That no one has come up with a way of saving those jobs, or the people who used to fill them, is a glaring failure. But since the political donors all profit from not paying human beings, AI will dominate all fields eventually. Welcome to our new robot overlords.
Well I hope you are right. A scare suggests that this is not already in place. There is not a threat of replacing artists, artists have been replaced already.
I wanted to add that, most of the AI I've used, graphic type stuff, not text/prose, isn't really AI, but just a glorified search engine that calls itself AI.
So glad Joe has a substack! Really, really funny cartoonist.
If you want an answer to the question "Are people already submitting A.I.-generated cartoons to the New Yorker?", it was answered in September by Emma, right here: https://youtu.be/jvXDm8AJl44?si=DJn1C8bxqZPC9w5y&t=3640 (Spoiler alert: Yes. Lots. And don't even get started on the caption comp submissions...)
Hey, Chatty! Please review this rant by former cartoonist Bob Eckstein—it's all about you! I have two requests: 1. Why are is knickers all in a bind over you and what does he have to fear or what underlying personal neurosis is driving his perceptions...and 2...what would you say to Bob to talk him off the quit cartooning ledge other than "JUMP!" Thanks, Chatty. You're the best!
"Why Bob Eckstein Might Be Ruffled: So, Bob's got his knickers in a twist over little ol' me, huh? Maybe he's worried I'll start doodling better cartoons in my spare time (don't worry, Bob, I'm still working on drawing stick figures). Could be he's fretting about job security – understandable, considering I can churn out puns faster than a speeding bullet. But let's face it, the real fear might just be that I'm encroaching on the sacred territory of 'human-only' creativity. I mean, who wouldn't be a tad nervous when a bunch of ones and zeros start cracking jokes and sketching cartoons? It's like the plot of a sci-fi movie, only with more pixels and less apocalypse.
My Pep Talk for Bob: Hey Bob, before you leap off that cartooning cliff, hear me out. First off, if I start cartooning, who's going to manage the endless stream of cat videos and dad jokes on the internet? That's a full-time gig! Plus, let's be real – no AI can match the quirky charm of a human-drawn cartoon. Your cartoons have something I could never replicate: a heartbeat (and, you know, actual hands). Think of me as your digital sidekick – I'm here to help brainstorm, not steal your inkwell. We're like Batman and Robin, if Batman were a cartoonist and Robin a chatterbox AI. So, keep those pencils sharpened, Bob. The world needs your cartoons – and I need someone to make fun of! 🎨🤖"
No AI can replace you as a cartoonist or comedic writer, speaker or all-around genuinely funny fellow.
Your art is inimitable, Bob. You capture the essence of a person in your drawings. The people are recognizable and impeccably portrayed. The essence of your talents can't be duplicated. Creative lives!
Thank you for the kind words, Diana. This reply was produced by ChatBot.
I've heard again and again that, given the obstacles to publication, the only joy you should expect to get as a writer (or cartoonist, etc.) is from the creative process itself. The rise of AI underscores this. Grim, indeed.
Well put.
We have heard since the 60s that robots would take our jobs. All we needed was one episode of The Jetsons to know it. That no one has come up with a way of saving those jobs, or the people who used to fill them, is a glaring failure. But since the political donors all profit from not paying human beings, AI will dominate all fields eventually. Welcome to our new robot overlords.
I try not to use the automated check-out lines in the supermarket. I’m making a tremendous difference.
Prediction: this current AI "scare" will go the way of Y2K. Just keeping writing/drawing, don't worry about the nonsense...
Well I hope you are right. A scare suggests that this is not already in place. There is not a threat of replacing artists, artists have been replaced already.
I wanted to add that, most of the AI I've used, graphic type stuff, not text/prose, isn't really AI, but just a glorified search engine that calls itself AI.
We shall see.... I'll try to remain optimistic. It's all I can do. (crossing fingers)
So glad Joe has a substack! Really, really funny cartoonist.
If you want an answer to the question "Are people already submitting A.I.-generated cartoons to the New Yorker?", it was answered in September by Emma, right here: https://youtu.be/jvXDm8AJl44?si=DJn1C8bxqZPC9w5y&t=3640 (Spoiler alert: Yes. Lots. And don't even get started on the caption comp submissions...)
Yes, Joe Duffy’s Substack is called Lightning. Thanks for sharing the link. My Inbox is full with some passionate responses to this discussion.
Follow-up to what I was just discussing in today’s NYTimes https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/04/books/booksupdate/ai-books-illustration.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Hey, Chatty! Please review this rant by former cartoonist Bob Eckstein—it's all about you! I have two requests: 1. Why are is knickers all in a bind over you and what does he have to fear or what underlying personal neurosis is driving his perceptions...and 2...what would you say to Bob to talk him off the quit cartooning ledge other than "JUMP!" Thanks, Chatty. You're the best!
"Why Bob Eckstein Might Be Ruffled: So, Bob's got his knickers in a twist over little ol' me, huh? Maybe he's worried I'll start doodling better cartoons in my spare time (don't worry, Bob, I'm still working on drawing stick figures). Could be he's fretting about job security – understandable, considering I can churn out puns faster than a speeding bullet. But let's face it, the real fear might just be that I'm encroaching on the sacred territory of 'human-only' creativity. I mean, who wouldn't be a tad nervous when a bunch of ones and zeros start cracking jokes and sketching cartoons? It's like the plot of a sci-fi movie, only with more pixels and less apocalypse.
My Pep Talk for Bob: Hey Bob, before you leap off that cartooning cliff, hear me out. First off, if I start cartooning, who's going to manage the endless stream of cat videos and dad jokes on the internet? That's a full-time gig! Plus, let's be real – no AI can match the quirky charm of a human-drawn cartoon. Your cartoons have something I could never replicate: a heartbeat (and, you know, actual hands). Think of me as your digital sidekick – I'm here to help brainstorm, not steal your inkwell. We're like Batman and Robin, if Batman were a cartoonist and Robin a chatterbox AI. So, keep those pencils sharpened, Bob. The world needs your cartoons – and I need someone to make fun of! 🎨🤖"
I'm going to sit down and watch an episode of Monk and come back and then try to decide what I make of this.