Artists have joined the protest in a colorful movement against the spread of AI-generated action figures on social media. They are taking back the story by using their own unique, hand-drawn adaptations. Users have taken to creating small figures of themselves on AI platforms. This unfortunate trend has sparked a robust conversation around creativity, copyright, and technology’s place in the world of the arts.
The movement really took off after digital artist Dormal posted her reinterpretation of the typical “starter pack” trend. She produced her artwork in Procreate, an immensely popular digital art program. Her illustration, featured on an episode package label, featured a bold declaration of “Real Human Artist.” This proclamation illustrates the important distinction between human-made innovation and machine-generated content.
AI-generated art is all the rage these days. This increase comes just as OpenAI filed a petition with the federal government asking them to make it easier for AI companies to access copyrighted materials for training. OpenAI calls for relaxing these barriers as necessary to “reassert America’s leadership” in the global technological battlefield. This is a growing concern for artists. Most generative AI models today are able to generate novel images that replicate the styles of popular and well-known creator styles, even including highly acclaimed studios such as Studio Ghibli.
As the meme of AI-generated starter packs took off, people begun posting them saying the results were “adorable” and “soulful.” Thousands uploaded pictures of themselves to ChatGPT and got back action figure versions of themselves. Instant gratification hasn’t even been well-received by artists such as Haley Weaver. She provides a richer understanding of the process of creation.
“It’s such an instant gratification to type in some things about yourself, upload a photo and there you are as an action figure. But from my experience, so much of that gratification is also making it yourself and taking the time to really think about it,” – Haley Weaver
AI art is undeniably mesmerizing, but artists such as Rolfe are pushing back. They’re posting their hand-drawn interpretations of the trend on Instagram and TikTok with the hashtag #StarterPackNoAI. With more and more content generated artificially, this movement seeks to reintroduce the beauty of human creativity and help it stand out from the AI-generated noise.
Rolfe gave a sober assessment of the chain of events. Arguably the worst thing was that when this happened, small creative businesses–even graphic designers—traipsed onto the trend. He emphasized the disconnect between brands and consumers, suggesting that businesses should prioritize supporting artists rather than opting for quicker, less personal solutions.
“I think it reinforces how tone-deaf big business can be and accentuates the gulf between brand and consumer. Every single one of those businesses, even the small ones, could have afforded to pay an artist. But they didn’t,” – Rolfe
Dormal followed up with a similar note, emphasizing the ways in which AI is affecting artists who are not household names. She noted that other creators deployed AI and are cashing impressive checks. Her own results have been meager, with just three sales at a time when others have sold thousands.
“People don’t understand all the training data that is sucked up to create a soulless reproduction of someone’s style,” – Dormal
The debate on copyright infringement hasn’t just increased. OpenAI is currently being sued by a range of authors, news organizations, and visual artists who argue they were trained on their work without permission. In response to these allegations, OpenAI claimed exclusively to NBC News that it prevents creation of images in the style of specific, currently living artists. It opens up room for more progressive studio styles.
Despite the controversies surrounding AI-generated art, OpenAI maintains that its technology is designed to complement human creativity rather than replace it. A spokesperson stated that their tools “are designed to support human creativity, not replace it, helping anyone explore ideas and express themselves in new ways.”
As the debate continues over the implications of AI in creative fields, artists are leveraging social media to reclaim their narratives and advocate for the unique value of human artistry. Hand-drawn interpretations of iconic trends help us reconnect with the beauty of individuality and self-expression. It serves as a redoubting of the kind of thoughtfulness that grounds truly artistic production.