Why Artists are Fed Up with AI Art

If you've been active on social media recently, you've probably come across discussions about AI-generated art. To fully grasp the concerns surrounding AI art, it's important to understand how AI works. When an AI creates a piece of art, it requires an input in order to produce an output. Machine learning companies like Stability AI profit from high-quality media, and their AI is trained using specific datasets. These datasets consist of visual data with statistical correlations, ultimately resulting in an acceptable final output.

However, the problem arises from the fact that these datasets often contain billions of copyrighted images, artworks, photographs, and other visual content collected from the internet without the consent of their rightful owners. Artists, including myself, who share their work online have found that their art is being used to train AI models without their permission. This widespread use of copyrighted content without consent is a violation of the rights of artists and creatives on an industrial scale.

Stability AI, one of the key players in AI art, has openly admitted that their models are trained on copyrighted data, which could potentially lead to legal issues. The generated AI images often look identical to the original copyrighted counterparts. These companies accumulate vast amounts of data through data mining, including copyrighted and private data, without obtaining consent. They exploit legal loopholes to commercialize their products and avoid regulations put in place to protect the rights of artists.

The creation of the largest dataset, Lion 5B, used in AI generation was initially presented as research but has now been transformed into a commercial product. Companies like Stability AI, Dream Studio, and Stable Diffusion (all owned by Stability AI) are profiting immensely from this loophole. This unethical practice has been likened to data laundering, as it allows corporations to profit without compensating or obtaining consent from artists. Some users even exploit the names of well-known artists to generate content, leading to potential reputation damage, forgery, fraud, and identity theft.

These AI models are also incapable of forgetting the data on which they are trained. As a result, all generations from these models involve copyrighted content obtained without the knowledge or permission of the copyright owners. This not only violates artists' rights but also damages their hard work and passion.

Artists have raised their concerns about this issue, but they often face dismissive counterarguments. Some claim that artists should expect their work to be used once it is shared online, misunderstanding the legal implications. Others argue that AI takes inspiration from references like artists do, failing to recognize the significant difference between human creativity and AI's replication abilities.

There's also a double standard when it comes to music. AI-generated audio content is created using copyright-free data, with a fair and ethical system that respects the rights of music artists. However, visual artists are being trampled upon on an industry-wide basis, undermining the importance and value of visual art.

Despite the pushback from some quarters, artists are not objecting to the presence of AI technology itself but rather the unethical practices surrounding its use. Artists deserve the right to control how their work is used, especially when it comes to commercial purposes. Allowing artists to opt-in or opt-out should be the standard, and their work should not be exploited without consent or compensation.

Keywords

AI-generated art, machine learning companies, data sets, copyrighted images, intellectual property owner, industrial-scale violation, legal issues, commercial products, data mining, copyright infringement, unethical practices, data laundering, reputation damage, forgery, identity theft, artists' rights, dismissal, creative process, inspiration, music industry, double standard, opt-in/opt-out, future with ethical AI.

FAQ

Q: Why are artists concerned about AI-generated art? Artists are upset because their work is being used without consent or compensation for commercial purposes. AI models are trained on copyrighted content collected from the internet, violating artists' rights and diminishing the value of their creations.

Q: Can artists protect their work from being used in AI art? Currently, artists have no option to opt out of having their work used in AI art without their consent. There is a dire need for an ethical system that allows artists to maintain control over their creations.

Q: Is there a double standard between music and visual art in relation to AI? Yes, there is a clear double standard in how AI-generated audio and visual content are treated. Music companies ensure that their AI models use only copyright-free content and respect the rights of musicians, while visual artists face widespread infringement without adequate protection.