This article reflects on the historical fears associated with technological advancements in the art world, particularly highlighting the views of Charles Baudelaire in 1859 concerning photography. Baudelaire famously predicted that photography would doom painting by providing a method to capture reality with the press of a button, which sparked widespread alarm among artists of his time. The author suggests that such reactions are not unique to photography and parallels these fears to today's burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI).

The article argues that like photography, AI may be viewed as a threat to traditional artistic practices, as it disrupts established artistic conventions and prompts heated debates about originality and creativity. However, it counters the notion that AI or photography could entirely replace painting, emphasizing that historical evidence (such as the emergence of Impressionism and Expressionism) indicates that new technologies often liberate rather than extinguish artistic expression.

Conclusively, the piece posits that just as artists adapted and thrived during the photography revolution, the current wave of AI might similarly challenge yet ultimately enhance artistic creativity, fostering a new evolution in the art world instead of its demise.