Source: Proceso

Artificial intelligence continues to generate controversy and now it is once again facing the world of the arts, where many creators feel threatened by the advances of this technology; an example of this are the works of Kelly McKernan (renowned visual artist), which are being threatened by artificial intelligence (AI).

The threat is based on McKernan’s discovery that companies are using her work to train AI image generators, which threatens her and other artists around the world. McKernan, who describes her style as surreal and ethereal, noticed images similar to hers created by an AI when she entered her name into a search engine; she expressed her discomfort and contacted the companies responsible for the generators, but she received no response.

In response, McKernan joined artists Karla Ortiz and Sarah Andersen in filing a lawsuit against Stability AI, creator of the text-to-image generator Stable Diffusion, and against Midjourney and DeviantArt, popular image generators, arguing that these companies violate copyrights by generating derivative works that compete with the originals.

The case, which is currently awaiting a ruling in a San Francisco federal court, could set a precedent for protecting the rights of creators in the age of AI, because while the artists are not against AI per se, they do object to being exploited by it. Besides, those artists are seeking an injunction to prevent companies from using their works without their consent and are seeking a compensation for damages.

Stability AI has declined to comment the matter, although in court documents it claims that its images are completely new and unique, while Midjourney and DeviantArt have not responded to requests for their opinions.

Undoubtedly, this is another case that highlights the challenges faced by creators in different fields, such as actors, writers, musicians and programmers, as they struggle to prevent AI developers from profiting from their work.