CEO Draws Parallel Between AI Art Critics and 1859 Photography Backlash

In 1859, Charles Baudelaire, perhaps one of the greatest artist of his time, said that photography was “art’s most mortal enemy,” arguing that it was a mechanical, soulless tool that should be restricted and was not meant for creating art. He believed true art required human imagination and creativity, whereas photography merely copied reality. He claimed it appealed to the “blindness and imbecility” of the public and to the “petty bourgeoisie,” who were just dumb to understand the true nature of art that comes from God.