The opposition to image and video synthesis is not narrow to innovative application developers. The hardware manufacturer Wacom and game publisher Wizards of the Coast faced criticism and apologized after using AI-generated content in its marketing materials. Toys “R” Us also faced negative reaction after AI-generated advertising debuts. Companies are still grappling with balancing the potential benefits of generative AI with the ethical concerns it raises.
Artists and critics react
So far, Procreate’s anti-AI announcement has been met with a largely positive response in social media responses to the post. In a widely liked comment, artist Freya Holmér he wrote to X, “I appreciate it very much, thank you.”
Some of the more outspoken opponents of image synthesis have also responded positively to the Procreate movement. Karla Ortiz, who is plaintiff in a lawsuit against companies creating AI images, he replied to Procreate’s video on X, “Whatever you need at any time, know I’m here!! Artists support each other and also support those who allow us to continue doing what we do! So thank you for everything you do and I’m excited to see what the team does next!”
Artist RJ Palmer who excited the first major wave of opposition to AI-based art viral tweet in 2022 as well he replied to Cuda’s video statement, saying, “That’s a way to send a message. If only you could get a full-fledged competitor, [Photoshop] on the desktop with plugin support. Until someone builds a real competitor at a high level [Photoshop] “I use it, I am connected to it.”
Several AI-supporting users also responded to X’s post, including artist Claire Silver, who uses AI-powered art, uses generative artificial intelligence as an accessibility tool. She he wrote on X, “Most of my early work was done with a combination of AI and Procreate. 7 years ago, before text-to-image became a real thing. I loved Procreate because it used technology to make it more accessible. Like AI, it expanded time-honored skills to allow more people to create. No rules, just tools.”
As AI image synthesis continues to be a balmy topic for some artists, reaffirming support for human-centric creativity could be an effective solution diversified marketing a move for Procreate, which currently plays a weaker role against innovative app giant Adobe. While some may prefer to apply AI tools, in an (ideally robust) app ecosystem with personal choice in illustration apps, people can follow their conscience.
Procreate’s anti-AI stance is a bit risky, because it could also polarize parts of its user base — and if the company changes its mind about including generative AI in the future, it will have to backtrack on its commitment. For now, though, Procreate is confident in its decision: “In this technological rush, it could make us an outlier or it could make us seem like we’re behind,” Procreate said. he wrote“But we believe the road less traveled is more exciting and fruitful for our community.”
This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.