It was a Sunday like any other when a Reddit user named "Ugleh" an image that had the potential to change the way we think about art forever. – The image of a village that drew its viewers into the image through the spiral pattern.

When machines create art - using the example of the village picture

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With more than 8.7 million views on Twitter and a flood of praise on various social networks, this image has caught the attention of experts and laypeople alike. But what makes it so special? It is the result of a combination of Stable Diffusion and a control technology called ControlNet. Thanks to this technology, it is possible to create works of art that previously only existed in the minds of the most creative artists.

A question of perspective

But not everyone was enthusiastic. Some critics, such as B. the graphic artist Trent, pointed out some inconsistencies that could lack the human influence in the artwork.

“That's nice, but there are a lot of decisions that a human wouldn't make. Many of the shadows are incorrect, and it makes no sense to place chimneys directly over windows. When you zoom in, you can also see the telltale noise structures of AI art.”

But isn't it perhaps precisely these shortcomings that make AI-generated art so attractive? She challenges us to think beyond the traditional norms of art and enter a new era of artistic representation.

ControlNet and Stable Diffusion – The Invisible Artists

But what exactly is ControlNet? Developed by researchers Lvmin Zhang, Anyi Rao and Maneesh Agrawala, it offers a new perspective on creating works of art. ControlNet is a neural network model for controlling stable diffusion models. It allows text and images to be combined to create works that blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy.

The limits of creativity

While some celebrate the potential of AI in art, others raise ethical and legal questions. Who owns the copyright to a work of art created by a machine? And can an algorithm really be considered an artist?

A new era or just a fleeting fashion?

No matter what side of the spectrum you fall on, one thing is certain: AI-generated art has opened the door to limitless possibilities. It is up to us to explore these possibilities and decide how we want to integrate them into our society. But just as AI produces works of art that expand our consciousness, there are also other, darker applications that threaten our reality: deepfakes and fake news.

Deepfakes: A look into the abyss of deception

Deepfakes are artificial videos or audio files created using artificial intelligence to show people doing or saying things they never did or said. They are so convincing that they are often indistinguishable from real material. The possibilities of using it as a weapon in information warfare, politics, and even personal attacks are troubling.

Fake News: The Poison Contaminating Our Information Sources

While deepfakes are often spectacular and difficult to detect, fake news is more subtle but no less damaging. This is fake news that is often spread across social media and other platforms to manipulate opinions, cause confusion or simply cause chaos. Technology has brought us into an age where truth is harder to find than ever before.

A race against time

There are already numerous efforts to combat the tide of deepfakes and fake news, from technologies that detect false content to educational programs designed to help people identify fake news. We at Mimikama are also dedicated to debunking fake news and offer such media education programs .

Technology will continue to evolve and with it the opportunities and challenges. It is up to all of us to be informed, alert and prepared.

Protect yourself in an uncertain world
Knowing the existence and potential danger of deepfakes and fake news is the first step to protecting yourself. It's more important than ever to think critically, check sources, and subscribe Mimikama newsletter stay up to date media literacy

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )