Let's talk about the artificial elephant in the room, a topic so controversial that writing about it could jeopardize any good standing I have with the community of heraldry artists that I have come to admire and respect. And yet, it’s a topic we cannot ignore. Let's talk about Artificial Intelligence in the realm of heraldry.
Generative AI is a technology that has, not unjustly, been proclaimed as a potential end to art as we know it, and consequently, the potential degradation of our ancient tradition of heraldry. A new disruptive technology that holds the potential to replicate what was once only possible through the skilled hands of talented artists for nearly a millennium. Anyone with access to the web can use a AI tool to construct artificial images using a simple written instruction. It’s a technology that, if you haven’t experimented with it, you have at least encountered it. More worryingly, you might have encountered it more than you realize.
I am no stranger to the threats posed by disruptive technology. As an entrepreneur in the game development industry, holding a Master's Degree in Graphic Design: Game & Digital Design, I have spent many years building experience through study and skill development to create artwork for games. The gameindustry is a constantly growing and evolving sector, where everything learned becomesirrelevant within just a few years. New tools and technology appear every year that accomplish tasks that took me years to master in mere seconds. In our sector, we have not only learned to accept it, but we even embrace it. The threat that AI poses to classical art mirrors the persistent challenge that other artistic professions have dealt with for many years. Fighting change is hard, and in fact, those who embrace it tend to thrive. However, comparing the art of games and the art of heraldry is unfair and unjust. When considering the long-lasting art traditions, cultures, and developments that have been built up over many generations, the threat that AI poses to ancient arts like heraldry is much more dramatic. The comparison is only made to state: I understand how you feel.
Having said all of that, I'm not worried. Generative AI has now been around for a few years, and I have yet to see a single AI-generated piece of heraldry that is convincing. In fact, of all art forms, heraldry might be one of the hardest to replicate simply because it is not enough to learn by example; it involves a complex and intricate set of rules, norms, traditions… and even worse, none of it is universal. AI will have a hard time learning that a Flemish Coat of Arms usually only has five twists in its wreath when its database of examples shows another number of twists. An AI cannot know that a person it's generating heraldry for does not have the right to a crown or supporters, nor is it capable of writing a motto, it simply doesn't manage text all that well. One does not learn about heraldry by simply looking at many images; it requires the study of literature and the mentorship of knowledgeable artists. Additionally, there are many exceptions to the rules, a plethora of fantasy heraldry, and a considerable amount of bad heraldry that the AI fails to recognize as such. The outcomes are distorted creations that result from a clearly unrefined dataset.
Heraldry might be the ultimate challenge for generative AI technology; it could be the single best test to determining the state of the technology. And yet the day all heraldry artists dread will come, likely sooner than later. What then? Again, I’m not worried. In a long-existing reality of digital typography that can easily and cheaply be printed on paper, we still pay heraldic artists to hand-write grants on vellum. This specific example illustrates what I believe is the single most important truth about the existence of modern heraldic works: heraldry persists today as a way to convey a passion for art, history, and tradition. Patrons who commission artworks from talented artists do so because they value the original creations of those artists above anything. The authenticity, the craftsmanship, and even the artist names hold great value in heraldic art. As such, I'm optimistic that heraldry will remain a bastion for original works and will continue to withstand the challenges posed by disruptive events, as it has always done.
Ultimately, this is just my perspective and hope. Yet, as a supporter of numerous artists, I can genuinely express that, despite a healthy interest in the possibilities of AI technology, I have no intention to include AI-generated heraldic pieces in my expanding collection of artworks. I cannot envision a future where the value of an original heraldic work diminishes for me simply because a piece of software can produce similar artificial creations. This sentiment is shared by other esteemed patrons of heraldry as well.
“ People will adapt and the art will also adapt. What would the 15th century heralds say of the heralds of the 19th and 20th century? Heretics all of us! So let's open a safe space for open and sincere discussion, from all ages and backgrounds.”- Dilan Nunes, Discord Roll of Arms archivist
“While the prospect of AI created heraldic artwork is at first troubling, I think it will ultimately amount to little disruption of the traditional heraldic arts. Digital art didn’t put traditional heraldic artists out of business, in fact, quite the opposite — it made heraldic art more attainable, and this expanded the market. With more armigers comes more need for artwork. Armigers, already by definition attracted to the antiquarian, to the authentic, and to the traditional, will always seek out the authenticity of hand painted heraldic art. This will never be supplied by AI. Only a heraldic artist will do.”- Brady Brim-DeForest of Balvaird Castle
The future is bright!- Kevin Haelterman
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