Generative AI has developed as a type of deep-learning technology in which new content, like text or imagery, can be created based on the data it has collected. But think about where the data for this content comes from.
While AI technology presents a wide range of beneficial uses, it’s not without its downsides - often revolving around data usage, ethics, copyright, censorship, and regulation.
Artists began noticing their original artwork was being ‘scraped’ to build databases for use by generative AI programs. AI-generated images featuring their work were being used publicly, without their consent.
Meta then announced their new AI policy (starting June 26) in which all your photos, text and data - anything you have publicly shared online - will now be used to train AI. No image online is safe from being exploited for use in generative AI, under the terms of ‘fair use’.
There isn’t a way to opt out (even though we didn’t technically ‘opt in’), although some places such as the EU allow people to dispute when Meta uses their personal data. I attempted to make a dispute claim to Meta regarding use of my images and artwork. However, when I submitted the form, it was rejected. I was met with a pop-up window that simply stated ‘Error submitting form - enter security code sent to your email’ - which I did, a further 4 times, with the same result.
Human creativity - art made from the heart and soul - is slowly being replaced with synthetic content. And there are many ethical issues regarding the labelling of art and other media as ‘AI generated’. Is what we are seeing and reading created by a human, or by AI? I’m writing this from my bed at 7am on a sunny Friday morning - but how can I prove this wasn’t written using ChatGPT? I can’t. It’s an increasingly frustrating issue for artists, writers, and photographers.
A few months ago, a new social media and portfolio app called ‘Cara’ emerged. Created by photographer Jingna Zhang, the goal is to create an AI-free space for artists to share and protect their original work, and closely monitor for AI-generation. Artists can share their work in an AI-free environment, and the platform also actively works to prevent imagery from being replicated using a tool called ‘Glaze’ which was developed ”to protect human artists by disrupting style mimicry in the training of generative AI models.”
I try to see the issue from both sides - AI can be a great tool to spark creativity and assist in speeding up work processes. We have to move with the advances in technology. But is there really an ethical way to use AI image generators when they are trained by using other people’s original content, without their consent?
It’s an interesting debate, and one I’d genuinely like to have with anyone, particularly artists, who are in support of generative AI. As AI technology continues to grow, we need to be having conversations about the social and ethical issues that underpin its development.
Regardless, I believe we should all be concerned about what our data is now being used for, and how this will impact our lives going forward.
I love having a platform to share my artwork and connect with other artists, but I don’t want my work to feature in AI-generated images that can be used by anyone, and feature anywhere, without my knowledge.
My work is created from my heart and soul, based upon personal life experiences and emotions. It is work made with love that takes me days, weeks, months to create. It has taken me a lifetime to develop the skills to express what I want to share with others.
Allowing AI to generate work from my art, so others can use it with no thought about where it came from, or the struggles of the person who created it, intuitively doesn’t feel right to me. At this point in time, I’m not in support of it, but I’m open and willing to learn more. I welcome anyone to join me in this discussion.
I will also share this blog post on Instagram - and I realise the irony of this…. But it’s the place that will give it the most visibility. And this is the issue we face. Leave Instagram, and who is going to see our work? Stay with Instagram, and our work will be used, uncredited and without consent.
I have set up a Cara portfolio for my work here:
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