A recent controversy has arisen as thousands of artists, including renowned figures like Norman Rockwell and Wes Anderson, were identified in a widely shared list. The list, comprising 4,700 individuals, became viral after artist Jon Lam shared it, revealing its role in a lawsuit against companies like Midjourney, Stability AI, DeviantArt, and Runway AI. These companies face allegations of misusing copyrighted art to train their artificial intelligence systems.
Midjourney, a popular AI program, has been specifically targeted by artists who claim the company used their work without permission. A spreadsheet, proposed as "Midjourney Style List," containing almost 16,000 additional artist names, has further fueled the controversy. Midjourney's founder, David Holz, allegedly shared this list in the company's public Discord server.
This incident highlights growing frustrations among artists regarding the lack of regulation surrounding AI-generated art. The surge in popularity of apps like Lensa and Epik, allowing users to create images based on AI-generated styles, has raised ethical questions about profiting from the work of real-life artists.
In a class-action lawsuit, artists argue that AI products labeled as "artificial intelligence" are, in fact, built on "human intelligence and creative expression" copied from the internet. The complaint emphasizes that artists providing the creativity were neither asked for consent nor compensated for the use of their work.
Public access to the document was closed, but an online archive of the spreadsheet remains available. Lam, a senior storyboard artist at Riot Games, expressed surprise at the apparent lack of effort to conceal the information, allowing artists to discover their inclusion.
Since the rise of generative AI in 2022, suspicions have surrounded these programs, with artists believing their works were directly used rather than serving as inspiration. AI-generated images often included scrambled artist signatures, further fueling concerns.
As Midjourney continues to profit from subscriptions ranging from $10 to $120 monthly, some artists struggle in a market saturated with machine-derived versions of their creations. Lam noted that the initial excitement about image generators overlooked the impact on artists' livelihoods.
Similar concerns about AI's impact on creative industries have been raised in Hollywood. Labor unions negotiated new rules requiring consent and compensation for actors whose likenesses are replicated with AI.
Prominent artists named in the lawsuit include Norman Rockwell, Wes Anderson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Matt Groening, Seth MacFarlane, Hayao Miyazaki, and Tim Burton. The controversy surrounding Midjourney's use of over 20,000 artist names emphasizes the need for ethical considerations and regulation in the evolving landscape of AI-generated art.
