Attention, all illustrators and art lovers! A group of illustrators has started a protest against the use of AI-generated illustrations on the Pixiv platform. This has led many illustrators with a large following to make their posts private until Pixiv clarifies its position on the rise of AI.
The fear among illustrators is that Pixiv may continue to allow AIs to use their illustrations as learning models, leading to concerns that the internet may not be a safe place anymore, as AIs could use published work. Many illustrators have announced similar measures, motivated by a joint protest against the rise of AI-generated illustrations, as well as Pixiv’s apparent support for these tools.
For example, “@Akmkmk3“, an illustrator with more than 240,000 followers on Twitter, posted an update on May 7 that he would stop posting new illustrations on Pixiv and would make all his previous posts private. In his words, “he will continue with this decision until Pixiv clearly expressed his position on the rise of AI.”
Many other illustrators, including “@Rswxx“with more than 640,000 followers, already”@kuroe16370547” with more than 130,000 followers, have announced similar measures. In both cases, the artists mentioned that they fear that Pixiv will continue to allow AIs to use their illustrations as learning models.
There are a lot of reactions to the now called “Illustrators Strike”, highlighting: “I’d like to support them with the goal of reducing the number of people bragging about illustrations they didn’t make themselves“; and “Now even the Internet is not a safe place, considering that an AI could use your published work.“
The move to the illustrator protest was provoked by a rumor on social media that Pixiv was allowing scraping, a technology that collects specific data from websites, to make AI-generated illustrations more efficient. The analyzed technique uses a technology capable of creating new illustrations from previously created illustrations, which can generate images that resemble certain illustrations by real artists.
However, Pixiv’s terms of use explicitly prohibit “the use of programs or tools that collect posts made on the platform.” In short, scraping is, in fact, prohibited on Pixiv. Nevertheless, it has been mentioned that the measures currently in place are inadequate and should be improved.
It is essential to understand that this protest loses all its meaning if the illustrations were also posted on platforms other than Pixiv. Therefore, some illustrators have made their illustrations private as an expression of their desire to ask Pixiv to reinforce its measures against AI learning.
The “Illustrators’ Strike” has gained a strong reaction, with comments such as “I would like to support them with the goal of reducing the number of people who boast about illustrations they did not create themselves.” This has sparked a debate on the use of AI-generated illustrations and their impact on the art industry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the protest by illustrators against AI-generated illustrations on the Pixiv platform has raised concerns about the future of art and the role of AI in the creative process. The current measures to prevent AI learning on the platform are not enough, and Pixiv needs to take more robust steps to reinforce its policies against scraping and AI-generated illustrations. It is essential to support the artists cause and ensure that their work is protected from unauthorized use.
Source: ITmedia
