Last week, I said I should rip the band-aid off, so I did it in the title. I’m not stopping there, however. If I’m making such a big change, I should at least explain myself.
Generative AI has really exploded in the last few years. A lot of people thought it would just be a fad, but no, it’s here to stay. When it just started to gain traction, I was cautious, but curious. Making images by typing in prompts sounded like fun. I would often play with AI programs and post AI generated images that the fans sent me. That’s why I have a lot of AI defenders in my audience. I wasn’t as hard on it as some other content creators.
As the years went by, I became aware of the problems with AI art: it guzzles energy, it’s threatening to take jobs away from people, it often takes art from artists without permission, it prevents people from developing their art skills, etc. Despite all that, I still posted AI generated fanart on my website. I told myself, “These people are sending you art because they like your work. Be nice and show that you appreciate them.” But I wasn’t being nice. I was being an enabler. Before this post, I made some anti-AI statements and I got pushback for it. Let me address a few arguments that I got from my fans.
AI art lets disabled/poor/overworked people make art
I don’t agree with this statement, but I sort of understand it. Technically, I’m disabled (autism), but it doesn’t affect my ability to make art. I work a part-time job and my family is financially stable. If any of those things were different, it would be harder for me to be an artist. It wouldn’t be impossible, however. There are plenty of disabled people (both physically and mentally) that make great art without the use of generative AI. John Callahan was a quadruplegic man who made portraits, cartoons and songs. His most famous work is Pelswick, a cartoon about a boy in a wheelchair. He died in 2010, so I don’t know what he would have thought about AI art, but he did just fine without it.
When it comes to money, if you have a computer and internet connection (the things you need to make AI art anyway), you have access to plenty of free software that lets you make art yourself. I use Paint.net for comics, Game Maker for video games and DaVinci Resolve for videos. I don’t have to pay a cent for them. If those aren’t right for you, you have loads of other choices. Free software is created and updated every day.
Some people don’t have as much free time as others, but your value as an artist isn’t determined by your productivity. Even if you can only create art for one hour per week, you’re still an artist. It would be nice if society didn’t push for maximum productivity. You shouldn’t be lazy, but you also shouldn’t work yourself to an early grave. I’m aware that inequality exists, not just among artists, but people in general. I won’t go in detail because I want to stay on topic, but there are better ways to create equality than generative AI.
How will you differentiate between human-made and AI generated art?
I often get pieces of art with mistakes or alterations that were most likely made by AI. The background can’t decide if it wants to be realistic or abstract, the outfit looks the same except for one or two details, etc. Fanart doesn’t have to be 100% on model, but the changes have to make sense on some level. I admit, my judgement isn’t perfect. I might have to watch a few online tutorials before I get good at spotting AI art. If I suspect a piece of art that you sent me is (completely or partially) AI generated, I’ll ask about the details. If an outside source is altering your art, find a way to get it out of the picture (no pun intended).
Our competition will use AI, so we should use it as well.
The comment brought up several entities (conservatives, corporations, etc.), but I decided for a more general term. Just because other people are doing something bad, it doesn’t mean you should do it as well. That’s not how morality works. Even if we take it out of the equation, I still stand by my decision to abandon AI art. It can’t be copyrighted, it’s still failing to make a profit and it causes the user’s art skills to stagnate, or even deteriorate. If my competition is using AI art, they’re sabotaging themselves. Making art with your own skill and creativity is an advantage.
A few people also said that those who use AI art have gotten harassed and threatened. I don’t support that. You can discourage the use of generative AI without being a bully. This post has a strict tone, but I’m not making it to be mean. I’m trying to help both you and this website. Consider it tough love. As a free speech supporter, I can’t prevent you from making AI art or even commenting on my website with a link to it, but I can choose what I post. From now on, I’ll only share human-made art. I don’t care if you doodle on a napkin and take a picture of it with an old cell phone, I’ll still post and appreciate it.
The band-aid is finally off. I hope the rash doesn’t last too long.