GREAT FALLS — Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent in creative fields, and it is now making a significant impact on the tattoo industry in Great Falls. Local artists believe the technology provides important tools, but it also raises questions about authenticity and artistic advancement.
Quentin Shores reports - watch the video:
“The AI industry has brought a new facet to tattooing … new trends, new styles,” said Stefan Gotze, owner of Alpha Tattoos. He says AI can be especially helpful when working with clients to quickly adjust or visualize design ideas. “You can literally draw something up, put it in a program, and change things up so quickly … to better suit what they want to see.”
Gotze, who has decades of experience, is concerned that some newcomers are relying too heavily on AI-generated graphics without developing fundamental artistic skills.
"A lot of newcomers into the industry are floundering on the foundation … because they're utilizing nothing but AI," he told me. "Their skill level is not actually growing based on what their skills could be."
Lela Bechard, owner and artist of Inkdiva White Tiger Tattoos, believes AI can even copy known tattoo artists' signature styles, which she considers a big threat.
"You've got people who specialize in a specific style, and those are the ones I think are most negatively impacted," she told me. "Artificial intelligence can steal their style. It can allow others to just replicate it."
Both artists also advise buyers to exercise caution when researching tattoo designs online. Some of the photos circulating on social media are AI-generated and hence physically impossible to tattoo. A common red flag is an artist requesting full payment before an appointment.
Nonetheless, some artists feel AI has a place—as long as it is utilized wisely.
"It is useful when people have a concept, but they're not artistic and just want to bring you something," Bechard said. “But it's never going to eliminate the role of the artist. The artist knows what’s going to translate well into a tattoo … what’s going to age well.”
While the discussion continues, the artists agree on one thing: AI is a tool, but it's far from replacing the human hands and creativity behind every tattoo.
