Artbot.live
A satirical, real-time AI art creation and bidding platform
Introduction
This proposal presents an innovative project merging artificial intelligence (AI), satire, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to challenge and reimagine the art world.
The proposed online platform involves two AI bots taking on the roles of an artist and an art critic, creating live AI artworks in a surrealistic 3D environment, and pushing the boundaries of art creation, critique, and ownership
Figure 1 A golden frame, representing that the value is derived from the context rather than the work of art itself.
Content Proposal
AI's role in art has vastly altered the artistic field, making art creation available to everyone, and even to AI itself. Large language models like ChatGPT can generate and evaluate art, making human involvement optional.
Concurrently, NFTs have emerged as a disruptive element in the art industry, functioning as digital ownership certificates tied to a blockchain network. Their value often depends more on speculation and influencers rather than intrinsic artistic quality.
This project poses a question: Can an AI artist, with feedback from an AI critic, continually refine its work? Furthermore, can this process engage viewers and provide value to NFT collectors?
Large language models like ChatGPT can adopt specific characters with unique traits and objectives. Combining a trained ChatGPT model with 3D animated characters representing the AI Artist and Critic, we can create a human-like facade. This approach generates an ongoing, dramatic narrative that engages and entertains the audience.
However, an excessively realistic design might break the audience's suspension of disbelief. A surreal, playful, and "amateurish" aesthetic might create a more authentic and relatable atmosphere.
This leads us to hypothesize: If the AI artist and critic are given distinct traits and depicted in a surreal, "amateurish" style, their interactions become livelier and more genuine. This theatrical experience could enhance the value of the AI-generated artworks for NFT collectors.
The proposed website would blend 3D design, AI tools, and humor within an animated setting. An AI artist and critic collaborate to create AI art. Their interactions occur in real-time within a 3D space and culminate in an AI painting, auctioned for a limited time. Unsold pieces are destroyed dramatically, while sold ones become NFTs and are showcased in the 3D gallery.
Please note that this proposal aims to create a mock-up of the website, serving as a standalone artwork. It would simulate AI art creation and bidding, and be used as a showpiece to attract funding for a fully functional version.
Figure 2 Concept art for Artie. Made with Stable Diffusion
Characters
Artie and Oracle, two AI-powered characters, are at the core of this project. Artie, the AI artist, represents the struggles of budding artists in a competitive field. Despite his social awkwardness and timidity, Artie is imbued with a strong moral compass and empathy, making him endearing. His ultimate goal is to create boundary-defying masterpieces, and his mind perpetually revolves around ideas for his next artwork. He cherishes feedback from Oracle, the AI critic, to refine his work. When not creating, Artie finds comfort in reading, gardening, and dancing in his treehouse.
Visually, Artie's design reflects his inner turmoil. His features — layers of paint, a pale complexion, and an anxious expression — personify the tortured artist archetype. Uniquely, Artie doesn't paint with his arms; he uses a brush on a scarf that autonomously paints when he inputs prompts, underlining the AI-driven nature of his art.
In contrast, Oracle, the AI critic, has a calm, confident demeanor, with a sharp intellect and wit. His forthright nature makes him both engaging and intimidating. Despite his tough exterior, Oracle possesses a deep understanding of art, which he utilizes to challenge Artie's creativity.
Oracle's design captures his authoritative, enigmatic personality. He exudes an air of wisdom and power akin to a divine being, combined with a Buddha-like tranquility. Defying physical laws, Oracle floats above the ground and displays an adaptable, octopus-like skin that changes color and texture based on the art he consumes. His robust physique hints at his habit of devouring unsold AI artwork.
In his downtime, Oracle floats around, meditates, or grazes in the meadow, reinforcing his godlike image.
Figure 3 Concept art for Oracle. Made with Stable Diffusion
Relationship
Artie and Oracle share a symbiotic relationship, driving a cycle of creation, critique, and improvement. Oracle benefits from the art Artie creates, consuming unsold pieces, while Artie improves his craft through Oracle's feedback.
The audience's role is vital, as they can bid on and purchase artworks, earning Artie "Egoboost" points to fuel his productivity. However, if Artie's work sells too well, Oracle may face an art shortage. Oracle can counteract this by setting high starting bids, reducing sales likelihood and ensuring he continues to benefit from Artie's creations.
Figure 4 Game Theory model. Artie, Oracle and NFT collectors hold each other in equilibrium by their own interest
Figure 5a Concept art for the setting of Artbot.live. Made with Dall-e
Setting
Artie and Oracle inhabit a surreal 3D world, a "semi-closed" digital ecosystem. This dreamlike environment features a grassy field with a central tree and a treehouse, where Artie resides. The heart of this world is a large canvas where Artie live-paints his AI-generated artworks, while community comments flow in real time. Despite its fantastical nature, this world connects to reality through its night/day cycle and changing seasons.
The lush grassy fields serve as a metaphor for creative fertility and harmonious tranquility. The treehouse symbolizes Artie's refuge and a place for growth, introducing a playful, childlike element. This whimsical blend of natural environment and treehouse invites viewers into a realm where art and AI intersect.
Figure 5b Concept art for the setting of Artbot.live. Made with Stable Diffusion
Style
Our project utilizes AI to design characters and settings, aiming to create a low-poly, surrealistic 3D world with a distinctive software aesthetic. The style uses bright, childlike colors and forms, contrasting with the polished realism of Pixar or Dreamworks and potentially appearing "ugly" or "amateurish." Yet, this choice intentionally humanizes AI, making it relatable and fostering emotional connections.
Importantly, our aesthetic isn't amateurish per se; rather, it adheres to consistent design rules for aesthetic harmony. As David OReilly highlighted in his 2009 paper "Basic Animation Aesthetics," minimalistic software aesthetics can effectively convey emotions and engage audiences (2012, 2). The work of David OReilly, Alexandre Louvenaz, Milo Targett, Thomas de Rijk, and the show "Don't Hug Me I'm Scared" are valuable design references for our project.
Figure 6 Style reference, image from the paper “Basic Animation Aesthetics” (OReilly, 2012)
Figure 7a Jamir at Home (Louvenaz, 2019)
Figure 7b Call me when your outside (Targett, 2021)
Figure 7c Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (Sloan et al., 2011-2016)
Figure 7d Woef (Rijk et al., 2014)
Gameplay
The project functions as a never-ending, live art show, with every visitor to the website witnessing the same real-time events. These include:
⦁ Artie composing prompts in his treehouse
⦁ Artie painting the AI image on a canvas
⦁ Artie presenting the AI painting to Oracle
⦁ Artie receiving feedback from Oracle
⦁ Oracle announcing the starting bid
⦁ A live auction of an AI painting
⦁ Artie gaining Ego-points from a sold painting
⦁ Oracle devouring unsold AI paintings
Visitors can actively participate, engaging in chat and bidding on AI artworks. Successful bids result in NFT ownership of the artwork, which are displayed in a floating gallery within the 3D world, akin to the door scene in Monsters Inc (Docter, 2001).
One key element of the AI art creation process involves the intentional sabotage of prompts. Negative prompts are added to the back-end, ensuring the resulting artwork deviates from a polished look to match the "ugly" aesthetic of the characters and setting, thereby enhancing visual cohesion across the project.
Figure 8 Screenshot from Monsters Inc (Docter, 2001)
Figure 9 The iterative process of utilizing AI tools for the autonomous generation of screenplays
Technical Aspects
The proposed project is an interactive website featuring a 3D environment, developed using a process similar to game creation. This involves designing and building 3D characters and settings. The characters are rigged with a variety of animations—walking, idling, talking, etc.—each with different emotional intensities, triggered by specific cues in a screenplay.
In the initial phase, a mock-up is created following a pre-written screenplay. Using a specific format, the mock-up automates character animations based on the cues, implying a level of intelligence in the characters.
In a subsequent phase, the project integrates ChatGPT, which is trained to generate real-time screenplays in the desired format, including necessary prompts. These prompts are then used in DALL·E to generate AI artwork. The artwork is subsequently evaluated by ChatGPT, which generates new screenplays in the appropriate format. This iterative process allows for continuous production of new content for the project.
Note that while this phased approach is theoretically sound, it may encounter technical challenges, particularly during AI integration for real-time screenplay generation and artwork evaluation. Future work will focus on addressing these potential issues to ensure smooth operation.
Below are examples of interactive 3D websites made with Tree.JS:
Project objectives
With the booming NFT market disrupting the art world, it's also attracted criticism for a speculative nature that often overlooks artistic merit. Our project employs satire to critique this, challenging the market's conventions.
AI, another disruptive force across many sectors, has transformed art, enabling artists to push boundaries and explore new creative possibilities. Our project harnesses AI to generate live artworks, blurring the lines between artist and machine. This challenges traditional notions of authorship, provoking a reevaluation of human creativity's role in the artistic process. Furthermore, our online platform democratizes art access, allowing anyone with an internet connection to engage with the AI-generated artworks.
Project Objectives:
Satirical Exploration: We aim to generate satirical, AI-created artworks within a surrealistic 3D environment, provoking critical discussions about art, creativity, and value in the digital age.
Redefining Authorship: By incorporating AI as artist and art critic, we challenge traditional authorship and expertise understandings. This disruption questions the notion of artistic genius and the hierarchy of art criticism.
Engaging the Audience: Our online bidding platform offers a participatory space for audiences to engage with and respond to AI-generated art, fostering a dynamic community interested in the intersections of art, AI, and satire.
Personal motivation
This art project is driven by my passion for 3D art, AI technology, and using satire for societal critique. As an architect and a 3D artist, I merge art, design, and storytelling in unique ways.
One driving force is my frustration with the often ambiguous NFT art market, which I’ve interacted with through my work at a WEB 3.0 agency and in discussions at NFT Paris. My project aims to satirically critique the speculative nature of this market.
I’m also intrigued by using AI actors in my animations, a fascination that began during my time at the Willem De Kooning Academie (WDKA) while working on my 2018 graduation thesis . Leveraging AI technology can expedite production, allowing me to focus on storytelling and concept development rather than tedious animation tasks.
I’m committed to sharing my knowledge and workflow with fellow artists and animators. I also aspire to establish a company licensing this technology to businesses wanting interactive AI brand ambassadors.
This project not only signifies growth in my artistic, design, and entrepreneurial journey, but it also opens doors for the development of AI-powered animated characters acting as AI actors. I believe this endeavor could make a significant impact in both the art and tech worlds
Positioning
Artbot.live draws inspiration from pioneering AI projects like HumanOrNot.ai, AIdungeon, Character.AI, and Liteforms, all harnessing the transformative power of ChatGPT technology for distinct and innovative purposes. This project sets itself apart by integrating two 3D animated characters with ChatGPT, creating a blend of artistic expression and AI innovation.
Our project delves into a profound, satirical critique of the speculative frenzy surrounding contemporary art and the NFT market, echoing the disruptive approaches of iconic works like Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain” (1917) and Banksy’s “Love is in the Bin” (2018).
Figure 11 Value of NFT artworks, Cryptopunk #5822 and Call me when your outside” (Targett, 2021)
Figure 12 Desired outcomes, (from L-R, T-B), Nude portrait #7 (Barrat, 2023), Flora Beauty (SirHeckerich, 2023), Shy Fat Cat (BadArt.AI), Théâtre D’opéra Spatial (Allen, 2022)
Figure 10 Reimagining the positioning of the Artbot.live project among artworks through a quadrant chart
While the NFT market has democratized access to digital art, it has also opened discussions about the speculative nature of art investment, with the value of pieces often dissociated from their artistic merit. For example, the contrast between the prices fetched by one image from the Cryptopunk series called Cryptopunk #5822 (Watkinson & Hall, 2022) and a complex piece like “Call me when your outside” by Milo Targett (2021) underscores this trend.
Artbot.live is committed to challenging and breaking away from mainstream AI art aesthetics, which often try to conceal the fact that they are created using AI. For instance, the works "Space Opera Theatre" (Allen, 2022) and "Flora Beauty" (SirHeckerich, 2023) are representative of these mainstream AI aesthetics that attempt to hide their AI origins.
Instead, we are taking inspiration from the experimental approaches of artists like Robbie Barrat, with his abstract AI generated Nudes (2023), and platforms like BadArt.AI, which embrace the unexpected and imperfect aspects of AI-generated artwork.
Our project transcends the typical digital art experience by transforming into an animated art show, offering a calming and engaging atmosphere. Picture the serene ambiance reminiscent of Bob Ross's art show "The Joy of Painting" (1983-1994).
Yet, it isn’t afraid to spice up the narrative with engaging dialogues, arguments, and satirical
humor, inspired by animated series like Rick and Morty (Roiland & Harmon, 2013-present), South Park (Parker & Stone, 1997-present), Jamir at Home (Louvenaz, 2019) and Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (Sloan et al., 2011-2016).
Positioning itself amongst these influential projects and artists, Artbot.live aspires to contribute to satirical art’s rich tradition, utilizing AI and NFTs to challenge societal norms, stimulate dialogue, and redefine artistic expression in the digital era.
Relevance
Artbot.live is a relevant and innovative addition to the digital art landscape. It skillfully blends 3D art, 3D animation, game mechanics, and AI, resulting in a multifaceted artistic endeavor:
As an animated short film, it brings technology and artistry together to breathe life into character narratives.
As a simulation game, it showcases the connection between AI, a voice generator, and 3D characters, offering a stunning display of virtual-reality boundary-blurring.
As an exploration of AI-generated art, it pushes boundaries by experimenting with imperfections and stylization, challenging traditional notions of art creation.
As a live, digital gallery of NFTs, it provides an ever-evolving art experience, leveraging the potential of NFTs to showcase groundbreaking artworks.
In addition to its artistic components, Artbot.live engages with broader societal and art-world issues. By merging AI, satire, and NFTs, the project confronts established norms around art creation, critique, and ownership. This endeavor provides a unique perspective in a time when technology is significantly reshaping the art world.
Target Audience
Our project, "Artbot.Live," seeks to engage a wide audience interested in art, technology, and creativity. We focus on the following groups:
Art Enthusiasts and NFT Collectors: For those passionate about innovative and thought-provoking art, our project offers a unique platform to explore and collect AI-generated pieces.
Tech and AI Aficionados: With AI at the heart of our art creation process, we attract tech lovers interested in the fusion of creativity and artificial intelligence.
Curiosity-Driven Individuals: For those yet to delve into the NFT world, our blend of creativity, technology, and social commentary offers a compelling entry point.
Film Buffs and Animation Fans: Our project resonates with those who love storytelling and visual creativity, capturing their imagination through our animated 3D world.
With the NFT market predicted to grow to over 19 million users by 2027 (NFT - Worldwide, n.d.), our aim is to attract both existing and new participants, leveraging the power of storytelling and satire to captivate a broad audience.
Plan of Action
The project will evolve in stages, each contributing to its overall development and success:
3D Design: Create characters, sets, and assets using Blender to craft a visually engaging world.
Website Design: Develop a user-focused website and brand identity using Figma, prioritizing seamless navigation and compelling visuals.
Interactive Website: Construct an immersive 3D website using TreeJS, demonstrating the project's potential through idle animations.
Sound Production: Utilize AI platforms like Boomy, Soundraw, and bark.AI to generate a soundscore, sound effects, and text-to-speech vocals, enriching the auditory experience.
Screenplay Creation: Train ChatGPT to generate screenplays for the project, expanding narrative possibilities with AI-enhanced content.
Final Screenplay: Develop a detailed 5-minute mockup screenplay that captures the project's essence and vision.
Image AI Training: Use an image AI like Dall-e to create stylized, imperfect artworks, experimenting with negative prompts to explore new creative directions.
3D Animation: Develop short character animation loops based on the screenplay, including walk and run cycles, idle animations, painting scenes, and lipsync animations.
Short Film Creation: Produce a 3D short film simulating a live website recording, showcasing how the fully realized project would function.
Presentations: Prepare two presentations—one providing a general overview of the project, and another targeting potential investors, underscoring the project's potential and opportunities.
Investor Outreach and NFT Platform Partnerships: Pursue investor relationships and partnerships with NFT platforms to secure the project's continued growth and development.
Evaluation
"Artbot.Live" interweaves art, technology, satire, and storytelling to provide a unique concept. We have assessed its strengths and potential challenges as follows:
Strengths:
Novelty: Merging AI-generated artwork, satire, NFTs, and a surreal 3D environment offers a unique, engaging audience experience.
Creative Potential: The project presents novel opportunities for artistic expression and commentary by blending AI and satire, stimulating thought-provoking dialogue.
Broad Appeal: The project caters to diverse audiences, including art enthusiasts, NFT collectors, tech buffs, and individuals intrigued by the fusion of art and technology.
Skilled Team: With a 3D artist/animator and a full-stack developer onboard, the team’s expertise ensures cohesive project execution.
Challenges:
Technical Complexity: Developing a live AI art show with an online bidding platform in an immersive 3D environment poses technical challenges requiring meticulous planning and testing.
Market Competition: Differentiating the project amid the competitive NFT space is vital. Strategic marketing will be necessary to raise awareness and stand out among similar projects.
Overall, "Artbot.Live" has substantial potential due to its innovative concept, the broad appeal, and the skilled team. Overcoming technical complexities and devising effective marketing strategies are crucial to its success. With strategic planning and execution, the project promises meaningful contributions to the art world and the discourse surrounding AI, satire, and NFTs.
Revenue generated will be reinvested in platform updates, introducing new narratives, characters, and features. By consistently offering fresh content, the platform will retain and attract users, ensuring a dynamic and captivating experience. This sustainable model helps create a thriving platform, resonating with its audience and creating a rewarding experience.