DC Comics president and publisher Jim Lee said the company “will not support AI-generated storytelling or graphics,” assuring fans that its future will remain rooted in human creativity. – Not now, not ever, until [SVP, general manager] Anne DePies and I are responsible.” Lee said during his panel on Wednesday at Recent York Comic Con, comparing concerns about AI dominating future inventive industries to fear of the Millennium mistakes and the hype around NFTs.
“Humans instinctively respond to what feels authentic. We recoil from what feels fake. That’s why human creativity matters,” Lee said. “Artificial intelligence doesn’t dream. It doesn’t feel. It doesn’t create art. It connects it.”
While DC has a long-standing policy that requires all artwork to be original and authentically produced by artists, it the company faced several scandals due to the suspected employ of generative artificial intelligence in various comic book covers. The backlash from those opposed to the technology over concerns that it would replace the work of writers and artists has put pressure on DC to replace the dodgy covers and likely contributed to the company taking a powerful stance against the employ of generative AI in future projects.
“Anyone can draw a cape. Anyone can write a hero. It’s been around as long as comics have existed. It’s called fanfiction and there’s nothing wrong with fanfiction,” Lee said. “But Superman only feels good when he’s in the DC universe. Our universe, our mythos. This is what continues. This will carry us into the next century.”