I honestly don't think it's very complicated.
Artificial Intelligence comes in many forms and can be used in various ways. Usually when discussing AI people are referring to generative AI based on large models of stolen text, sound, or image. I think these generative models are awful because stealing art is awful. When a person steals a someone's work and uploads it with their name on it, it's theft. When an AI steals thousands, millions, of works and claims put its name on it, it's theft. Theft of art, be it text, sound, or image, is theft.
But, I don't think the technology is inherently evil. In fact, I know it's not inherently evil. About a week ago an an artist named Randy Travis who had lost his voice due to a stroke, but was able to regain access to it due to AI. I think in cases like this, where ethically sourced data is used to assist people, AI is undeniably good.
AI can also be used as a tool, and has been for many many years. It's famously used in Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse, and that is undeniably a work of art. The AI didn't create in that instance, it was used to create, no different than a pen, pencil, or stylus.
This brings me to procedural generation. I've seen takes about AI that target procedural generation and that confuses me. Procedural generation and generative AI is inherently different, and I think is only lumped together because you don't know how it works. You're never going to play Enter the Gungeon and find someone's stolen work. Procedural generation isn't "guessing" the same way AI is. Procedural generation is closer to a gumball machine, than it is to DALL-E, and that's because you can expect what you're going to get. You'll get a room with a table in it and 5 enemies. Or you'll get a hallway with armor.
TLDR: Art Theft is Bad. AI as a tool to assist creation isn't bad. AI as a tool to help people is good. Procedural Generation isn't at all the same as generative AI.
