Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
42%
risk level
POLLING
38%
Based on 750 votes
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
6.4%
by year 2032
WAGES
$57,560
or $27.67 per hour
Volume
12,080
as of 2022
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
5.0/10

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Automation risk

42% (Moderate Risk)

Moderate Risk (41-60%): Occupations with a moderate risk of automation usually involve routine tasks but still require some human judgment and interaction.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some very important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Originality

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Fine Arts

  • Finger Dexterity

  • Manual Dexterity

User poll

38% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 42% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph(s) are included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators' job openings is expected to rise 6.4% by 2032

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2023.

Wages

Moderately paid relative to other professions

In 2022, the median annual wage for 'Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators' was $57,560, or $27 per hour

'Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators' were paid 24.3% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $46,310

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Significantly lower range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2022 there were 12,080 people employed as 'Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 12 thousand people are employed as 'Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators'.

Job description

Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.

SOC Code: 27-1013.00

Resources

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Comments

Leave a comment

Electrick010 (Highly likely) says
Because sometimes society fails to recognize the difference between a crafted work and a revered one, they therefore resort to using AI for tasks because it is not as demanding compared to an artist (which I perfectly understand the requirements). In conclusion, it is likely that AIs will develop enough to perform more comprehensive tasks, but it will cost money.
Jan 16, 2024 at 05:37 PM
defeated art major says
we are in hell. genuinely. my job is going to become obsolete. nobody is going to care about human artists because companies always have and always will value the quickest, cheapest work. no matter what the correct answer is (that human-made art will always be superior to ai-generated images), all artists are going to be irreversibly ruined by the advance of ai. i have absolutely no hope for my future.
Jan 15, 2024 at 03:47 AM
Seb (Moderate) says
primarily aesthetic value (not with design nor communication value). Many artists are thus likely to be replaced, even when the automated version is of lesser quality: a large percentage of the audience considers this quality difference negligible sadly.

So, can artists be replaced by AI? Not really. Will they be replaced anyway because people do not care about the lesser quality? Probably
Jan 13, 2024 at 01:53 PM
Seb (Moderate) says
Art is seen as a commodity by many with primarily aesthetic value (not with design nor communication value). Many artists are thus likely to be replaced, even when the automated version is of lesser quality: a large percentage of the audience considers this quality difference negligible sadly
Jan 13, 2024 at 01:43 PM
Core (No chance) says
Fine art is specifically traditional art. automating it would defeat the purpose.
Nov 24, 2023 at 09:54 PM
Felk (Highly likely) says
Because AI ART is already taking over and things just haven’t started yet!
Nov 16, 2023 at 04:03 PM
Fan of artists (Highly likely) says
At least for digital artists it seems possible. I was in denial but with newer image generators it has got rid of that creepy look AI generated content had. Now I believe it’ll only improve.
Automation of art will not only kill the dream jobs of many but will have devastating outcomes for various parts of our society/life. It will get ugly.
Oct 02, 2023 at 04:12 PM
Vrushabh (No chance) says
Robots can do a print like painting not at all texture of painting or extra effect such was done only by painters or artists
Sep 08, 2023 at 01:46 PM
Ritunjoy (Low) says
Fine art is more than just making a lovely picture; it is the connection, emotion, and story behind the painting that makes it unique. AI will never be able to replace this.
Aug 14, 2023 at 12:04 PM
An aspiring artist (Low) says
Human emotion is what drives the creation of art. Yes AI can 'create' art, but it will never create it to express. It will only create it for the sake of creating it. Soulless, dull, and meaningless artwork.
Jun 19, 2023 at 12:06 PM
Eduardo Henrique (Highly likely) says
I don't think "originality" is praised, so people will be satisfied enough with images produced by AI. I don't think Art will die, but there won't be jobs for fine artists in the future.
Jun 14, 2023 at 02:37 AM
Stef (Uncertain) says
Maybe the common way of doing this kind of jobs may be at some risk, specially if the people who wanna dedicate to this only rely on strategies that worked some time ago (referencing a lot to the ''cheap artists and clients''), also the ai scammers who want to have some kind of taste of the benefits in gaining form visuals.

Not going to disappear, but in some way getting harder for sure. Or not necessary that word of being impossible to have that job, just the fact that now only the ones who are always determined to learn and adapt no matter what, are the most likely to survive.
Jun 11, 2023 at 06:16 AM
j (Moderate) says
Parts of this industry will be impacted and displaced. Especially I feel in digital illustration. Basic illustration tasks will be automated and used by both larger companies to save on costs and smaller due to lack of budgets. Setting aside copyright infringement, AI may impact 2d digital illustration.

Artists for personal expression on the other hand, probably will not be affected.
May 24, 2023 at 10:29 AM
HG (Moderate) says
The field has different likelihood of replacement. Sculptors and painters are safer, while graphic artists, illustrators and photographers are at great risk. Any fine art that can be (mass) reproduced, that is not one-of-a-kind can "easily" be replaced by AI.
May 08, 2023 at 05:15 PM
Atlas (Low) says
AI art pushback, copyright issues
May 04, 2023 at 11:34 PM
Stefered (No chance) says
Artificial Intelligence and Robots Will Never Replace Artists. AI Have No Soul, Love, Heart, Mind, Creativity and Hands, Human Touch is Better.
Apr 24, 2023 at 04:08 PM
awa (Uncertain) says
Concept artist? No chance to be replaced.
But for artist who take commission, it could go either way.
As a non artist, I will probably go for AI first before going to a real artist if the AI doesn't give me a satisfied result.
Mar 03, 2023 at 10:50 AM
artist (Highly likely) says
Already extinct because of AI "art"
Feb 11, 2023 at 12:42 AM
Ivan (Highly likely) says
It already happening. Not only can AI make a copy but also originate something new.
Feb 07, 2023 at 10:24 PM
Stefano (No chance) says
Robots will not be able to replace illustrators and cartoonists.

Firstly, they have no love. Love attracts, and a person realizes the love you have for creating these works. Robots have no love, feelings, or tenderness.

Secondly, they have no creativity, empathy, or consciousness. They have cameras and they don't imagine how we, as human beings, have it.

If a hacker attack or solar storm comes, bye bye robots!
Jan 13, 2023 at 05:03 PM

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