AI art philosophy
Rainisto approaches AI as a creative partner – a tool that opens up new frontiers of expression. He has often spoken about the “fearless naivety” of AI, likening current generative models to a hyper-creative beginner: “AI is in many ways over-creative, like a hyperactive naive child… full of exciting answers to any request thrown its way”.
He finds value in this shoshin (beginner’s mind), embracing the unexpected, dream-like qualities of AI-generated imagery. Rather than hide the algorithmic “artifice” of AI, Rainisto intentionally celebrates imperfections and oddities in the output as a new artistic language.
“They don’t have to look real, but they’re supposed to feel real,” he explains, emphasizing that an image generated by AI should evoke genuine emotion even if it diverges from reality. This principle of feeling over realism is central to his style. Indeed, many of his works appear photoreal at first glance but reveal subtle distortions or “glitches” upon closer inspection – an uncanny mix that Rainisto finds more intellectually and emotionally engaging than perfect mimicry of existing forms.
He notes that as he pushed AI toward photorealism, the results felt less resonant to him, whereas the so-called “failed images” where the illusion breaks often carried more intrigue and meaning.
A key theme in Rainisto’s philosophy is the primacy of narrative and emotion over technical execution. He considers a piece successful only if it elicits an emotional response: “If seeing an art work makes you feel nothing, what good is it?”.
In his creative process, he rigorously filters his outputs –no matter how technically impressive – by this criterion, discarding works that don’t move him personally.
This ensures that the final curation of images conveys a story or mood that resonates. Rainisto often begins a project by defining the story or emotional atmosphere he wants to convey, then trains custom AI models and generates “thousands upon thousands” of images, which he painstakingly curates and edits by hand. The process, as he describes, is “a combination of restless exploration and careful production”.
He leverages techniques AI model fine-tuning for specific themes, and employs methods such as in-painting to iteratively refine details. By doing so, he regains a measure of artistic control over inherently unpredictable algorithms. Gaining control has been one of the biggest challenges of working with AI, he notes –unlike traditional photography or painting, where an artist has near-total control, AI introduces a “second-hand and partial” control that must be wrangled through clever workflows.
Despite his enthusiasm for technology, Rainisto is careful to position AI art within the continuum of artistic practice, rather than as are placement for prior methods. He frequently refers to the photographic versions of his work as “post-photography”, meaning it challenges the conventions of photography using new tools. The images are not literal photographs, but “photographic” in that they play on viewers’ learned visual language of photos, then subvert it.
For Rainisto, AI is just another instrument in the artist’s toolbox – akin to a camera or Photoshop – and what ultimately matters is the artistic vision and impact on the viewer, not the novelty of the tool. “Art isn’t fundamentally a technical problem,” he states, noting that creating compelling art remains as challenging with AI as with any other medium.
He dismisses the notion that AI will usher in the “death of creativity”; on the contrary, he believes AI can “supercharge” creativity by allowing artists to explore ideas that would be difficult or impossible otherwise. This optimistic view underpins his work: rather than fearing automation, Rainisto enthusiastically experiments with AI to push visual boundaries and to reinvent storytelling forms.
Rainisto’s philosophical stance also extends to multi-disciplinary innovation. He sees generative AI as a convergence point for various creative fields – a way to blend photography, painting, cinema, and design. Citing inspiration from the Surrealists and even Cubism’s multiple perspectives, he uses AI to construct images that are at once nostalgic and futuristic.
By treating AI as a collaborator, Rainisto continues to evolve his artistic voice — one that merges humanistic storytelling with the“naive”, untapped creativity of machines. His guiding ethos remains clear and human-centric: art should stir the imagination and emotions, regardless of whether its creator is silicon or flesh.