Fuck AI

BASED

As a musician, and as a friend of many graphic artists, writers, programmers, designers, and other kinds of artists, I hate how many people just think in their own benefit. Like, they don't seem to understand that's one of the main problems, because while I use AI to create cover artz and at the same time complain about not having enough demand and about my music being stolen, which takes away my opportunities to work, a graphic artist/cartoonist could be using AI to make music for their showcases/shelves and complaining about not having enough demand and about others (me, in this case) stealing their art. What I mean is, we're both harming each other and reducing our net benefit margin, thus leading to a Pareto suboptimal.

I think a big part of the problem is that most people just can't afford each other.

Sure, you can do "paid in kind" (which has it's own complexities) but mainly there's so many overheads in life, as well as middlemen extorting out their cut that hiring a creative is cripplingly expensive.

It's something only affordable to either those with a lot of disposable income, or those who are planning to make a hefty profit from it (and won't be worrying about money in the meantime either).

Even in times when I was making the same income as a plumber, the idea of hiring one was deeply financially intimidating. Even an independent one. The way it's stacked, you can only afford to hire people in a lower class/caste/tax-bracket than yourself.

EFF leading by example in their post yesterday Who (or What) Generates Images for EFF?

Seen this myself.

I just semi-retired after 10 years of writing My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction. It was a nice little side hustle that brought in 1-2k a year and I enjoyed learning how to write stories.

In the past I would write a story and then either commission an artist for some cover art, or find some that suited the story on one of the many MLP art databases and ask permission to use it. In 10 years of writing over a million words I was never once refused my request to use someone's art, and I always made sure the artist was credited.

But, in the past year or so the primary website for MLP fanfictions (fimfiction.net) started allowing AI art for covers which like the OP, I feel to be a betrayal of our fellow creatives. We definitely need to stand together against the tide of AI slop, no matter its genre.

Realistically a lot of the people who are using AI for these were previously just ripping them off the internet and hoping nobody would notice...

I do music and other art. I did use early AI to make a few music videos because I liked the jankyness of it all. How it was strange and surreal - like a dream. If anything, it was more of an experiment in a medium that wasn't ready.

I don't use any AI today except to mock it. I reject it as much as possible.

Unions. We need 'em. Great episode on unions in a TrueAnon ep (podcast) about a week ago.

If everyone were angels we wouldn't need money and the issue is that struggling artists have none to spread around. Collaboration is not the answer. Ending the oligarchic kleptocracy so we can afford to pay artists their worth is.