Actually, yes, yes I do. I understand the limits of AI well. It’s all good though. We simply won’t agree. You see prompt engineering as actual work. I don’t. It’s like saying Sudoku is equal to math research.
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Clever programmers use AI not to write code, but to optimize it and to concentrate on core functions and not on repetitive standard routines. So here too: AI as a tool.
Yes, I am one of those programmers. But I really haven’t found it to be all that useful. By the time you integrate it into the larger codebase, fix the bugs, etc., I could have just written it.
Similar to how a skilled actual artist could fix your archer and lizard picture, but then they don’t need it.
You can see for yourself that this discussion is going nowhere, which is why we should end it now. Follow your nose and I’ll use AI technologies as I see fit, hopefully soon with the new macOS also as writing tools on the Mac and in Scrivener.
Then stop replying. 
Until then, I will be presenting an alternative view.
Feel free to do so. I do not mind.
I think the line between “copyrightable human creation” and “uncopyrightable result of an automated process” is likely to evolve over the next few years.
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That’s presumptuous.
None of the artists you paid in the past to do this job for you was able to deliver satisfying illustrations?
E.g. you could just tell them that your elves have five fingers on their left and six fingers on their right hand.
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It’s presumptuous of you to think that was serious.
Ah, now the “finger topic” comes up again. I count 5 fingers twice.
P.S. I’ve seen far more horrifying hand pictures from so-called “artists,” believe me.
Yes indeed. That’s because I was not able to connect their work with my story, but this issue is gone and I am happy about it.
I do agree.
There have already been a few court cases and complaints from creatives, and the EU has also looked into the issue. So far, there is no clear legal precedent on this, and I am convinced that these proceedings will not stop AI technology either.
ChatGPT would agree. 
Check your glasses. 
One has four fingers and a thumb. The other has five fingers and no thumb. They are most definitely not the same.
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She has a somewhat thick thumb, yes. 
Critics often make fun of such little things, which is fine, but they overlook the overall effect of the picture. As I said, I can live with it and this is only one of about 500 pictures that I have created with MidJourney so far.
We haven’t even had two years of developing AI imaging, and I’m sure it won’t take another two years for the images to be absolutely perfect, provided the right prompt is used.
The overall effect is: Okay, why does this mutant archer don’t know how to properly handle a bow? Aren’t elves supposed to be really good at this stuff?
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Well, in fairness, poor weapons handling is very much not an AI-specific issue. Seeing people on fantasy covers lopping their own arms off is … not rare.
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I should have known beforehand where this discussion was heading and am now closing it off for myself. Since there seems to be a broad front of critics in the forum who are not very open to new ideas and prefer to talk everything down, let’s leave it at that. AI already takes up a large part of the work of authors and graphic designers, whether you make fun of fingers or not. I’m certainly not the AI advocate who is trying to convince you here, but I’m integrating the technology where it makes sense to me and will refrain from commenting from now on, because apart from unfriendly comments, nothing will come back anyway.