Gen AI does not democratize the arts. It’s decimating my industry, cannibalizing our legitimate artwork in order to synthesize your idea of “creativity” without the effort of actually creating anything. If you want to be an artist, this is not the way.
You know what’s actually democratized art? YouTube. Instagram. Artists using social media to share their process and knowledge for free. You don’t need fancy materials, just a pencil, eraser, paper, and an earnest desire to learn. Anyone can create - I firmly believe this. But you have to want it.
For anyone who is new, hi, I’m a professional artist of who has had over 50 of my paintings scraped for training materials with the sole purpose of synthesizing the style I’ve spent 15 years building. My name was a popular style prompt and now there’s more AI images w/my name than my authentic art.
Went on Etsy to look for some cute iPad themes. A solid 25% are just AI wallpaper bundles with thousands of sales. The nerve to have usernames with "creative" or "Studio" in them when all they do is add "in style of Ghibli" to the prompt. It buries actual talent.
The ONLY way AI could be used ethically is as a tool to assist the artist or worker achieve results. Instead CEOs & some Executive Producers see AI as a way to replace skilled artists & laborers.
Honest question, I’m not an artist so curious what an artist thinks.
Suppose it’s used by an upcoming artist as a training tool, like to see different interpretations of a prompt or ideas for practice sketches with no intentions of being sold, would that be unethical?
I think it’s only ethical when the training data has been licensed with consent (and compensation), or uses public domain data. As these models currently exist, they’re filled with ill-gotten data, so the source is poisoned.
So the very thing that allows me to make a living in this late capitalistic system is theft? From whom am I stealing when I’m creating from an authentically crafted practice as a painter and illustrator? What’s your point?
It’s participate or starve…or get a shitty 9-5 job that doesn’t fulfill us. Sooooo…not a very hard choice.
You can pretend all you want…the rest of us would rather not be delusional. We live in a capitalist society, accept it. Copyright laws protect what’s ours under that system…so we can thrive.
Yeah it's a shit system and everyone should get their needs met without being forced into being "productive" and artists should be able to make art all day and I could get my teeth fixed.
HOWEVER:
You are blaming someone for the actions capitalism has forced them into.
So you're happy if I took your entire life's work, threw it into a blender, then have it attempt to create something new, or to reproduce the exact same picture, but without any trace of your watermark or signature, and claim it as my own original piece?
Generative AI is still many varieties of bad even if you don't use the IP theft argument. It is a power-hungry tool of disinformation championed by exploitative people/companies.
Comments
Suppose it’s used by an upcoming artist as a training tool, like to see different interpretations of a prompt or ideas for practice sketches with no intentions of being sold, would that be unethical?
Human innovation is all based on imitation, since birth.
'intellectual property' is theft.
Ask your relatives.
But there always alternatives.
We aren't bound to it, you know.
I know, it's complicated to change it.
But at the and of the day it is your choice to participate.
You can pretend all you want…the rest of us would rather not be delusional. We live in a capitalist society, accept it. Copyright laws protect what’s ours under that system…so we can thrive.
HOWEVER:
You are blaming someone for the actions capitalism has forced them into.
You can cease, now.