By Cecil W. Lee

I recently received an anonymous message that said:

“Oh look, another ‘I’m not using AI.’ Either use the tools proudly or climb back on your high horse and trot off.”

And another:

“‘Not AI-generated, AI-dictated’ is the most pretentious dodge since ‘it’s not a lie, it’s a vibe.’ If you’re going to borrow the engine, own the horsepower.”

I found this almost laughable, considering my experience. I don’t “borrow” from computers; I incorporate them. Unable to respond directly, I decided instead to clarify why I use the phrase Computer Evolved Digital Compositions.

Historical Background

The presence of the computer in art did not begin with personal machines but with specialized devices. In 1961, Desmond Paul Henry constructed the Electromechanical Drawing Machine, adapting a World War II bombsight computer into a tool for image-making. By the mid-1960s, most of those producing art with computers were engineers and scientists. They were not “artists” in the traditional sense, but people with access to expensive and highly technical systems.

This was before the lowering costs of mass-market personal computers in the mid-1970s. At that stage, the machines required floppy disks to boot, offered only an “A” drive, and had no internal permanent storage.

The next major threshold came in the 1980s. Although Windows 1.0 appeared in 1985, it was not until Windows 3.0, released in the early 1990s, that a usable graphical interface made computers truly accessible for creative work. Equally important were the tools that followed. Adobe’s Illustrator and Photoshop, first written by brothers Thomas and John Knoll in 1990 for the Macintosh, were converted to DOS/Windows by 1993. For the first time, an artist could shape images with software rather than code, making the computer not just a calculating device but a studio in itself. By the 1990s, the label most often applied to the practice was computer art.

My Choice of Definition

This is where my story begins. In 1999, I selected the phrase Computer Evolved. Why Computer Evolved? Because whether through pixel manipulation or guided AI, the computer helps manage resources — including photography of tactile work — to materialize vision.

Others may apply different methods, and perhaps a universal definition will one day emerge. But if left to outside authorities or observers, the definition has always missed the hand of the artist.

For over fifty years, terms have been imposed on work created with computers. Each carries the suggestion that the machine itself is the creative force:

AI-Generated Art: art attributed to artificial intelligence
Computer Art: art created using computers
Digital Art: art employing digital technology
Electronic Art: art involving electronic devices and technology
Generative Art: art produced from computer-interpreted rules
Telematic Art: art using computer networking as a medium

We don’t say painter-artist, sculptor-artist, or dancer-artist. The word artist is implicit. The same should apply here. I don’t claim to offer the final definition, but I do claim the right for artists to define their own terms. Computer Evolved is mine.

Closing Note

I believe the term AI Art is misleading. AI art is better understood as the exchange of human conceptual instructions with a machine. The artist remains the creator — not AI, not the computer. Society has gotten it twisted: the machine became the supposed creative force, when in reality it only extends human intent.

Obsession with Change, by Cecil W. Lee

Obsession with Change, by Cecil W. Lee, is a visually arresting science fiction coffee table book featuring more than 70 images paired with vivid single-page narratives and short stories. It blends visual artistry with insightful, rational reflections on possible future scenarios, engaging both the eye and the mind.

Unique in its visual and written approach, along with storytelling variety, the book appeals to readers across genres. Through concise, concept-driven text, Lee explores profound psychological themes involving humans, robots, CRISPR-enhanced individuals, and their evolving relationships.

Obsession with Change honors humanity’s oldest instincts: to tell stories, shape myths, and create new archetypes. These image-stories serve as visual metaphors for transformation, partnership, and the continuous evolution of the human spirit, sparking the imagination and leaving impressions that invite readers to return again and again.

Cecil W. Lee is a self-taught visual artist and writer whose work presents a blend of photography, painting, and digital techniques. He creates abstracts, figurative works, and digital collages that embrace computers as a stimulating and distinctive artistic medium. His recent book, Obsession with Change (2025), is a science-fiction coffee-table volume combining short stories with more than 70 digital images.

Discovering his passion for photography during his late teens, the artist eventually transitioned from photography to painting and mixed-media art. Cecil employs a variety of software applications, hardware accessories, and digital technologies to craft, manipulate, and evolve his pieces.

Read our interview with Cecil to learn more about his art, creative process, and inspirations.