Steven Heller confesses AI guilt in open letter to Pope Leo XIV
In a confessional-style column for PRINT Magazine, design critic Steven Heller admits to using free online AI programs to generate images, despite warnings from colleagues and Pope Leo XIV's encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas." Heller, who previously taught a "NO Google" research class at SVA's Design Criticism MFA program, compares AI's evolution to that of search engines. He notes that The New York Times strictly forbids AI-generated media for publication. Heller's AI-generated "slop" images accompany the piece, which he describes as mischievous rather than hateful.
Key facts
- Steven Heller wrote an open letter to Pope Leo XIV confessing AI use.
- Pope Leo XIV's encyclical 'Magnifica Humanitas' prompted Heller's confession.
- Heller uses free online AI programs during insomnia to generate images.
- He taught a 'NO Google' research class at SVA Design Criticism MFA program for three years.
- The New York Times strictly forbids AI-generated media on its platforms.
- Heller compares AI to Google as a research aid that also provides interpretation.
- The article includes multiple AI-generated images by Heller.
- Heller describes his AI output as 'slop' and 'mischief.'
Entities
Artists
- Steven Heller
Institutions
- PRINT Magazine
- School of Visual Arts (SVA)
- The New York Times