Automated tattoo machines are just a passing fad and won't ever replace human-to-human interaction in the ink game -- that's how a couple flesh-and-blood masters of the craft see it.
We spoke with "Ink Master" winner Bobby Johnson and fellow contestant Aaron Davis -- who both appeared in Season 15 together -- about the recent robot-human tattoo collab that took the internet by storm, and both guys slammed the entire concept.
Right off the bat, Bobby calls the tech tattoo trend ridiculous ... likening it to a factory production line of food, and calling it out for lacking heart and passion.
When Bobby tattoos, he says he designs tats for a person's specific body type and makes changes as needed -- so, he says he's not sure how a robot could provide the same comprehensive experience if it's just going off coded instructions.
In other words ... Bobby says there's nothing quite like the human touch for tattooing.
He's also straight-up questioning the tech here, too ... openly wondering what happens to a local tattoo parlor if the machine breaks down suddenly, and needs to be repaired.
As for Aaron, he says he thinks this new technology is just a fad, and while he's convinced the machine might have some basic tattoo skills ... he says that doesn't make it a true artist.
Still, he thinks some people will go the robot route. For instance, Aaron says the rich and famous -- or as he puts it, the Kardashians of the world -- will probably buy into this body art novelty.
We broke the story ... artist Dillon Forte worked with a machine built by tech company Blackdot to collaborate on a sci-fi/space-themed tattoo, and the parts created by the automated artist looked damn near identical to Forte's design.
But, it seems the trained eyes aren't having any of that ... and the 'Ink Masters' don't expect human tattoo artists to be put out of work anytime soon.