How to generate and use AI art in an ethical way?

Art is fun, but it’s also essential for many projects, from fundraisers to book covers, and it’s not always easy or cheap to obtain. AI art generators offer a solution, but come at a high price for human artists.

Learn about its impact and how you can generate and use AI art in the most ethical way. There are hardly any official rules, so you’ll have to set your own limits, whether you’re just having fun with the technology or hoping to use it for professional purposes.

Why AI Art Generation Is Unethical

Machine AI uses machine learning to ingest and understand relevant images and data from across the internet. Some of these online photos, paintings or digital artworks are free to use, while others are copyrighted, which generators and their developers tend to ignore.

Actually, it’s illegal, but the AI ​​generator gets away with it. This platform doesn’t even ask for permission, doesn’t pay or even give credit to the artists whose work they copy.

As well as stealing works of art, creating drawings using AI machines is depriving human artists of some of the business, which is indeed the most expensive option. It’s one of the many ways AI-generated art is changing the future of art.

One way or another, the landscape and its inhabitants will have to adapt, if only to avoid further upsetting clients and designers in the future.

The debate over AI art generators raises several questions, such as whether art is really real when created by AI. What defines originality? Who is to blame for AI copyright infringement? The algorithm, the developer, or the user who entered the prompt?

The complexity of the problem explains why it took so long to establish boundaries and laws for the use of AI engines. In the meantime, heed these tips to minimize your impact on the artist when creating AI art.

1. Don’t try to profit from AI generated art.

Creating amazing pictures with AI and posting them on Instagram to show people is relatively harmless. The artwork may be based on a copyrighted item, but you don’t really get anything out of it other than getting a few likes.

What is unethical is declaring yourself an artist, using images on products, or monetizing them in any way. You will profit from other people’s work without their consent.

2. Declare art as created by AI when sharing it online

When it comes to owning AI-generated artwork, it’s best to acknowledge that you are the provider of instructions and not the artist. Act accordingly when posting your pictures online.

For example, add a line or hashtag to indicate that an image was generated by AI. You can even state that you are not the artist and mention who influenced the art. In the end, it’s best to be honest.

3. Give credit to artists if you know who they are.

Some AI art generators have handy buttons with styles for your images, often labeled with a specific artist’s name. Other platforms have obscure labels that broaden your query, sometimes mentioning influential artists.

When using NightCafé, for example, type in your prompt and press Add a modifier. You can select an artist from the list modifier or choose one of the presets like Goodbyewhich includes Greg Rutkowski and Jordan Grimmer, among other sources.

The right thing to do, especially if you intend to monetize your AI images, is to reward the artist. Better yet, ask for their permission or offer them a commission. If the lawmakers fail to act, you can take the initiative and reduce the damage from the AI ​​generators.

While it’s not a great idea to have AI-generated imagery to market your brand, there’s really nothing stopping you as of this writing. That said, there are steps you can take to avoid backlash.

First, make this artwork your own by modifying it beyond recognition, instead of simply fixing the tiny details of Midjourney art with Photoshop. You can use just a portion of it or use it as a fuzzy background for your original work. Additionally, state your use of AI imagery and provide credit where possible.

5. Create original works inspired by AI drawings

One way to use AI art engines without feeling guilty is to use them simply to generate ideas. Enter a prompt that clearly describes your vision, collect the AI ​​images that inspire you the most, and create your own artwork inspired by them.

AI drawing is actually good for a lot of things not compromising your morality. They are one of the best tools for creating visually stimulating bulletin boards. You can make fun birthday cards and other gifts for family and friends.

In other words, personal use of AI art is ethically better than profiting from a product that incorporates AI images based on stolen art.

6. Support fair AI art system

The fine line between good and bad use of AI drawing is regrettable because the potential for artificial intelligence to produce artwork and other materials is enormous.

Considering how writers can use AI-generated art, not to mention businesses, marketers and even filmmakers, it would be a mistake to ignore this technology altogether.

What you can do to improve the situation is add your voice to calling for laws protecting artist property, and asking AI generator developers to change how their machines obtain data. For example, images with copyright metadata should be prohibited unless the artist gives permission and is paid accordingly.

Meanwhile, avoid using the AI ​​engine unethically or stop accessing it altogether, thereby cutting off some online traffic from the platform.

7. Do not use the AI ​​art generator

This is the ultimate solution that many artists have asked for to combat the unethical actions of AI machines and their creators, which add to the direct risks of artificial intelligence.

When a website loses traffic and potential revenue, the owners take notice and try to make up for those losses. So if enough people stop using AI art generators, the masterminds behind them may be forced to reconsider their business strategy.

There’s no guarantee that changes will fully benefit the artist, but clearly explaining why users are unhappy can help steer the industry toward a better system that doesn’t step on anyone’s toes. .

Ethics must come first when creating and using AI art

Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary technology that is here to stay. The achievements are useful and beautiful, but they can also be dangerous.

AI-generated art costs human artists the most, so take advantage of the tips above and find other ways to make using AI images less unethical.

Also, take a closer look at the dark sides of AI generators, such as the amount of data they consume and the stereotyped algorithms they learn from humans. Feel free to have fun with them, but always be aware of their pros and cons.