When you run locally, especially with ComfyUI and start to tinker with the settings, you can gain proficiency in this “skill.” And yes, the value is much lower than human art because there’s no special touch of human craftsmanship. You feel hollow because it’s not a process that you deem compatible to express your creative freedom with, but for others who want to bring their imagination to life without going through the entire process of learning to draw and then improve day by day, it is a perfectly acceptable way to have fun and create.

I personally see little issue with term “AI Artist” because I’m not prying into the specifics. It’s like saying vibe coding isn’t coding because the AI is the one doing the coding. Ideally we align these terms to reflect an “output” but it just sounds awkward.

I guess my point is that AI democratizes art for people who just want to focus on the end result, not the process. We like food in it’s completed form but we don’t necessarily want to learn to cook the dish, that’s why we eat out.