The debate on artificial intelligence in media.

By Havana Hakala

Artificial intelligence has become increasingly accessible, from text generators online to filters on TikTok. What AI generators do is mass search online for images that fit a selected prompt, then combine them to further represent the subject, producing several designs in varying styles (i.e. photo of the Eiffel Tower with a purple sky). But this revolution in AI generation comes accusations of theft, plagiarization, and artistic erasure.

Anti-AI hashtags and projects have trended on multiple social media platforms, with thousands of likes and shares. Artists who share their work online have wiped them completely from the internet out of fear of theft. But AI continues to override, especially since art-centered applications like ArtStation are allowing AI-generated art to trend over professional artists, causing waves of protest.

Though this doesn’t stop artists–both first-time and full-time–from launching their own AI exhibitions, like in the case of DALL-E, a free AI art generator online. DALL-E recently held their own gallery in 2022 dedicated to artists partnering with their site. This recent development in AI has sparked controversies, as some of the art pieces are centered around artificial copies of famous works, such as Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. DALL-E states that since their AI is “[extending] the original image, creating large-scale images in aspect ratio” (known as Outpainting), it isn’t considered plagiarizing. Outpainting can be used to “recreate” iconic portraits with different settings or different subjects (i.e. Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci underwater, The Kiss by Gustav Klimt with two cats, Brittany Spears painted in the style of Van Gogh).

As expected, the website garnered attention from authentic creators who believe that progression in AI will debilitate “real art” and erase artistic appreciation. This was only magnified when game developer and amateur artist Jason Allen entered Colorado State Fair’s annual art competition with his AI piece “Théâtre D’opéra Spatial.” The depiction of other worldly creatures inspired from Frank Herbert’s Dune took home first place, making it the first–and likely not the last–AI artwork to win a prize. This feat, while successful for those in the technology of AI, undermines the commissions of other artists who have spent countless hours perfecting their craft.

With new inventions being made in tech, art continues to evolve with it. “Real art” means something different to each viewer: modern artists like Yayoi Kusama would have been discredited hundreds of years ago, today she is celebrated worldwide.

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While artificial art is undeniably less powerful as the Renaissance, technology will continue to invade the world of visual art and literature.

Examining the culture Garfield’s Jazz and Orchestra

Garfield High School is histor ically notorious for its jazz pro gram. Led by Jared Sessink, the band was recently accepted as one of fifteen to compete in debatably the most prestigious highschool jazz festival in the country– Essen tially Ellington.

lington and other musicians from that era. “It’s a little bit like jazz foot ball, you have to know the game,” Sessink jokes. Out of hundreds that apply, only three bands from the northwest region are accepted to the competition.

people is such a great opportunity,” Barr-Clingan reflected.

The Jazz Band schedule is packed, with the festival being only one of the several performanc- want the band to continue to work towards whatever goals they have and then just put as much joy on that stage as possible,” Sessink shared. He can be confident that his band has lived up to his hopes. Barr-Clingan says that both her electives are music related, and that’s on top of having morning sectionals and her individual practice. She emphasizes her enthusiastic outlook on this, “I don’t mind because music is an outlet for me, so it’s not a burden. It’s more like something I get to do.”

The commutative atmosphere of the music department as a whole is shared by both students and teachers. Barr-Clingan expressed, “I think that everyone has a shared passion and knows that they can

Club has performances after school sometimes.” Sessink is confident that his band will represent Garfield justly. “I want us to be represented as authentically as possible. It has always come back to joy and love and just trying to be as authentic as we can possibly be.” And that is exactly the reason why people rave about the jazz program. “Garfield is such a unique school and I know that they’ll represent Garfield [well] just because of who they are.”

This year those schools include Garfield, Roosevelt, and Bothell High School–all in the Seattle area. According to Sessink, this is no coincidence given that all of these schools are in one of the only regions to offer daytime jazz instruction as a class. Sophomore Miep Barr-Clingan who plays trombone in the jazz band notes that sectionals (small group practice) played a big part in preparing for the competition. “If you can’t get along with people you’re playing with, there’s no way to sound together and have the right vibes,” she remarked. Nonetheless, it is a huge honor to be invited to compete in New York. “I know if we hadn’t gotten in, the hard es that are coming their way. For their concert in Quincy Jones on March 29th, they’re working hard on music they picked out as a band from the Essentially Ellington library. Two days following, the ensemble will be showing up as one of the top five high school jazz bands in the state for the 26th annual Hot Java Cool Jazz event, a Starbucks sponsored event at the Paramount Theatre.

What truly separates the Garfield Jazz program from others is the culture and sense of community surrounding it. Above all, Sessink values his musicians and the passion they share for their craft. “I just learn things from each other.”

The jazz program subtly contributes to the lively environment at Garfield– more commonly known as the Bulldog spirit. Music can almost always be heard coming from the band room at any point in the day, even before school hours. Barr-Clingan agrees, noting that the music department contributes to Garfield in its own subtle ways, “You can always walk by the music rooms and hear some sort of loud noises coming out of them– Drumline and Pep Band at sports games, choir singing in the halls during holiday season, Jazz occasionally at the assemblies, and Chamber Music

Composed mostly of seniors, this particular jazz band happens to have a special place in their director’s heart. Barr-Clingan recalls her time back in middle school, “I always looked up to the Garfield Jazz program. Hearing all about Essentially Ellington, I just thought how much fun that looked like. I still feel that way. It’s a great program in my opinion and it’s amazing to be a part of it.” The core of the Jazz band has been playing with Sessink since their time at Washington Middle School, which attributes to the pure chemistry they share on stage. “It literally feels like a family. It feels like there is an extreme amount of established trust that allows us to go way past what a normal student would experience being in a class with new people” Sessink remarked.