The DeviantArt Controversy: Is Anyone Actually Safe from AI Art Scraping?
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Announcement of deviantART's Dream Up Software
- Features and Goals of Dream Up
- The Controversy Surrounding Dream Up
- DeviantART's Response to Backlash
- The Use of Training Data in AI Models
- The Opt-in and Opt-out Debacle
- The Effectiveness of the NOAA AI Art Tag
- The Concerns of Artists
- Is Anywhere Safe?
The Impact of deviantART's Dream Up Software on Artists
Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized various industries, and the world of art is no exception. Recently, deviantART, one of the popular art sharing websites, introduced its new image generation software called Dream Up. This announcement stirred up a significant controversy within the artist community and raised concerns about the use of AI in the creation of art.
1. Introduction
Art has always been a deeply human expression, but the rise of AI technologies in the artistic realm has sparked a wide range of conversations and debates. As a digital artist and enthusiast, I am fascinated by the potential of AI in generating art. In this article, we will explore the recent developments on deviantART's Dream Up software and examine the reactions from artists.
2. The Announcement of deviantART's Dream Up Software
On November 11th, deviantART made a major announcement that introduced their new image generation software, Dream Up. According to deviantART, the main goal of Dream Up is to be an ethical AI generator that respects the consent of artists. However, this announcement did not sit well with many users of the platform.
3. Features and Goals of Dream Up
Dream Up offers several features aimed at addressing the concerns of artists. Artists can submit a form requesting their name and pseudonyms to be banned from use in Dream Up, effectively preventing the generation of images in their specific art style. DeviantART also stresses the importance of giving credit to artists by requiring users to declare and tag the artist when referencing their work in prompts. Additionally, Dream Up provides the option to reduce the visibility of AI-generated art in users' feeds.
4. The Controversy Surrounding Dream Up
Despite deviantART's attempts to mitigate concerns, the introduction of Dream Up has generated significant controversy. One of the main points of contention is the fact that Dream Up is essentially an Altered version of Stable Diffusion, an open-source AI Art Generator. By making Dream Up a paid feature through core membership, deviantART has raised eyebrows among artists who question the fairness of monetizing an AI system built on free software.
5. DeviantART's Response to Backlash
Following the backlash, deviantART addressed the concerns raised by the artist community. In their response, they clarified that deviantART did not, does not, and will not use deviation submitted to the platform for third-party AI models or training sets. This statement aimed to debunk the rumor that deviantART had used all uploaded content as training data for Dream Up. The CEO of deviantART, Moti Levy, emphasized that deviantART did not conduct deviantART-specific training for Dream Up.
6. The Use of Training Data in AI Models
While deviantART may not have used its entire catalog of artworks as training data, Stable Diffusion was trained on a massive dataset of 2.3 billion images from various sources across the internet. This includes personal blogs, stock imagery sites, and yes, potentially even deviantART. The use of artists' works without their explicit consent raises concerns about ownership and how AI models are trained on copyrighted content.
7. The Opt-in and Opt-out Debacle
deviantART faced further criticism due to a highly controversial decision regarding the opt-in and opt-out settings for Dream Up. Initially, all works on the site were automatically set to opt-in, meaning artists had to manually change their preferences for each individual art piece to opt out. This impractical and time-consuming process caused outrage among users. Eventually, deviantART reversed its decision and made opt-out the default setting.
8. The Effectiveness of the NOAA AI Art Tag
Part of deviantART's effort to protect creators' content involved the inclusion of an AI tag. However, the effectiveness of this tag is a subject of debate. Although deviantART claims that opting out will safeguard content, the tag itself may not provide the desired protection. The lack of guarantees from models to respect the tag raises questions about the actual impact it has on preventing unauthorized use of artists' work.
9. The Concerns of Artists
Many artists have expressed their concerns about their artworks being used to train AI systems without their consent. The potential misuse of their creative works by AI models has led to feelings of betrayal within the artist community. Some artists see deviantART's introduction of Dream Up as a positive step, whereas others view it as a breach of trust.
10. Is Anywhere Safe?
The deviantART situation not only raises questions about the platform itself but also highlights broader concerns about the use of AI in art generation. Artists now face the dilemma of finding safe spaces for their work, as potential data scraping for AI training is not limited to one platform. The prevalence of AI in the art world prompts artists to consider the implications of their creations in an increasingly digital and AI-driven landscape.
In conclusion, the introduction of deviantART's Dream Up software has sparked controversy within the artist community. While some see it as a step in the right direction, others see it as a violation of artists' rights. The use of AI in art generation raises complex ethical questions surrounding consent, ownership, and the safeguarding of artists' creative works. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, artists must navigate this new era with a critical eye and an understanding of the potential risks and benefits involved.
Highlights:
- DeviantART's Dream Up software sparks controversy among artists.
- Dream Up aims to be an ethical AI generator that respects artists' consent.
- Artists can request to be banned from the use of Dream Up in their art style.
- DeviantART responds to backlash and clarifies the use of training data.
- The opt-in and opt-out issue raises concerns about artists' control over their work.
- The effectiveness of the NOAA AI Art tag is debated.
- Artists express concerns about the use of their works without consent.
- The broader implications of AI in the art world raise questions about safety for artists' creations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q: What is Dream Up?
A: Dream Up is deviantART's image generation software that uses AI to produce art based on user prompts.
Q: Can artists prevent their works from being used in Dream Up?
A: Yes, artists can request to be banned from the use of Dream Up in their specific art style.
Q: Did deviantART use all uploaded content as training data for Dream Up?
A: No, deviantART clarified that they did not, does not, and will not use deviation submitted to the platform for third-party AI models or training sets.
Q: Are there concerns about the use of artists' works in AI training without their consent?
A: Yes, many artists feel it is a betrayal for their artworks to be used without explicit consent, sparking debates about ownership and ethical considerations.
Q: Is there a guarantee that opting out will protect artists' work from being scraped for AI training?
A: The effectiveness of the opt-out feature and the NOAA AI Art tag is debatable, as current models may not fully respect the tag or remove images based on it.
Q: Is any platform safe from potential AI data scraping?
A: It is challenging to ensure complete safety, as various platforms may inadvertently or intentionally scrape data for AI training. The presence of AI in the art world calls for artists to be cautious and understand the risks involved.
