Judy

The art industry is suffering from new advances in artificial intelligence and artists are questioning things they never had reason to doubt before.
After heavy backlash for use of AI in an introduction sequence for the film “Secret Invasion” and a poster promoting the second season of “Loki”, Disney is once again being criticized for using AI in a promotional poster for its up-and-coming movie “Wish”.
Ironically, this animated film is being promoted to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Disney, a company that was originally founded on the creativity of its groundbreaking artistic animation.
You just can’t make this stuff up.
Allegedly, the “Wish” poster originated from an X (the social media site formerly known as Twitter) page that was not affiliated with Disney. But artists have still been left wondering about the security of their jobs in the near future.
This new technology takes artwork from the internet as inspiration to develop a database that allows a work of art to be produced in mere seconds. All artwork that has ever been posted on any social media is in danger of being stolen and used for these databases.
The problem is that artists have not consented to the use of their art for AI. Because AI can’t create original works and can only combine previously existing art together, AI art is essentially an advanced form of plagiarism.
This has raised huge ethical and legal issues that are still being debated.
As it stands, the US copyright office has denied copyright for works of art created by AI. But that does not mean they’ve acknowledged the copyright infringement of the AI databases themselves, which is why Disney has yet to face any legal backlash.
In a specific case, artwork for the “Zarya of the Dawn” comic book could not be copyrighted because it was not made by a human.
“After carefully reviewing your numerous public statements describing the facts surrounding the creation of the Work registered under VAu001480196, the Office finds that the Work should not have been registered because it cannot be determined that it contains enough original human authorship to sustain a claim to copyright,” the US Copyright Office wrote.
This is one example of how artists may not receive the attribution they deserve for these stolen pieces of art.
Fear has developed throughout the art community that artists will lose jobs to this new technology.
AI is faster, easier and cheaper than real artists. Of course, using AI means a huge drop in quality, little to no control of the creative direction and inconsistency throughout.
According to Rullara.net, “AI art lacks the emotional connection and personal touch that human art has.”
This makes AI art less meaningful and shows that computers can’t create as impactful art as humans.
The cons clearly outweigh the pros, but AI is still gaining traction because of its convenience and easy usage.
Though AI cannot replace the dedication and hard work of a human artist, companies seem less keen on quality and more interested in using art that is less expensive.
Because of its influence and reputation in the industry, Disney’s example will open the gateway for other companies’ justified use of AI.
As it stands, the standard of performance of artists across the art industry is incredibly high. When they aren’t able to keep up with the constant efficiency of AI platforms, artists will receive fewer job offers.
The future of artists is starting to look less promising.
As a company that was built off amazing artistic visuals and creative story-telling, Disney is betraying the hardworking artists that are responsible for their success and fame with their use of AI art.