Yeah, it's interesting and I agree. And I also agree with
@tremault . This is a fascinating and volatile topic. Unfortunately, just because artwork is in Adobe Stock doesn't mean all artists consent them being used for generative AI, where artists names show up on datasets for generators to mimic their style.
This has been a continuing point of contention where some artists felt blind-sided by this move. There's still a lot of work to achieve ethically AI stock images where artists permit and are properly compensated for this specific end use.
Now, to use it or not use it as coverart? I'd treat it the same way as fan-editing. We're all here. I think the least anyone can do is find a way to credit the original artists and/or prompts somewhere (like even as small as a caption, maybe even separate from the AI generated piece itself) for the images used. And absolutely NO GAINING MONEY from selling that kind of art- just as anyone would approach sharing their fan-edits, duh. That's the very least anyone could do, I think. It's the same way I've seen folks approach their posters. I've seen incredible fan-art done by artists who aren't the fan-editor, and I think that's perfectly cool as long as artists are credited (and no selling, duh).
STORY TIME (please don't read ahead, unless you want to)
I don't personally use generative AI in visual artwork. I'm very particular, and I've found there's fulfillment in sucking and achieving- from learning and doing what you want to see happen. I don't think I'll ever be a graphic designer in my life. But I remember in grade school that I liked to draw, and I drew for my classmates. There was this kid who wanted something drawn (I forgot what it was, it was like Batman and some pictures of our gym teacher with Hellman's Mayonaise logo in his chest- something stupid like that). I drew it for him, and then he would go around telling other kids from other classes that he drew it. And I'm like, ooh huh? No one believed him. And no one liked that kid. He had no friends. A loser, as they say. But it was whatever. Just a kid and his infantile ways- cringe and smells of some people
Artisdead, you know? Bad vibes. Makes you feel icky.
Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yeah, there's fullfillment in learning to do what you'd like to see. It just sucks that Photoshop and similar tools are criminally expensive. I said this loudly before- You are human. You don't just get fed images of stuff and compile to make art. No matter what AI bros want you to believe, "AI" doesn't learn the way humans learn. You made art the other day because you met a very cute barista, and it made you feel you wanted to draw something. You know what you drew? A flower! You didn't get fed images of flowers that you wanted to draw. You thought of that cute barista and how they made you feel. That's art, it's your flower, your art (it sucks but that's okay). I went for a beautiful walk and thought to myself, you know what? I want to sketch some hardcore, pornographic giantess-babe drawings. That walk, it made me feel something. Inspiration can come from anywhere, not just images of hot giantess babes fed into you. When I draw a banana, I don't think of pictures of bananas. It's not just input-output. I'm drawing a banana because I just ate one, maybe. Taste, hearing, feeling. AI can't do that. And when AI eventually does, it'll be the AI that gets credit (because it lived, it got its heartbroken, started a family, whatever)- not you, the AI-bro, bad-smelling-kid-from-grade-school who wrote the prompts. Yeah, when you draw, the drawing will suck at first. But it's so good because it's yours, it's your idea executed.
Look at this.
Look at that. You think that's awful? No! It's gorgeous
(it's actually pretty good). And you know what? That's not mine. I don't know who made this, but let me tell you, that person is probably doing great now, and they're proud of it. And I'm proud of them too.
Anyway, I thought I'd throw my two cents here since I'm just finding out about this AI thread. I've been working on a Lion King edit. The whole thing uses an AI voice narration (and it's a complete mess so far). There's no other way unless I kidnap Sir David Attenborough myself. Have a good evening folks, it's late.
