Anti Ai - Tumblr Posts
I don't want to ask AI a question. I don't want AI to write my sentences for me, at all ever. I don't want AI search bars to be the default and I don't want them to be in such a way that I can't opt out. I don't want this kind of AI in my life and there is no such thing as AI art, there is only theft of art from human artists by AI scrappers. I don't want any of this, I hate it. Maybe in a world that isn't driven by tech bro capitalism we can see machines doing all the dangerous inane things so humans can be free to pursue life and creativity. But that's not what's happening right now and I hate it.
Reblog so artists can see!
how much fun are we having in this timeline folks?
![Slide Title: A Quick Note Before Beginning
If your response to this is to start arguing with me about whether or not AI image generators can be used “for good”
Leave.
[Image ID: four panel screenshot comic from Spongebob Squarepants.
Panel 1 - Patrick: Wait!
Panel 2 - Patrick: I have an idea.
Panel 3 - Spongebob: Really? What is it?
Panel 4 - Patrick: Let's leave.]
Sunny (referring to the spongebob comic): Smartest thing you can do.
I have nothing to say to somebody who can’t properly weigh the harm inflicted on real people against a potential good that has, thus far, completely failed to materialize.
Baku: also consider your loyalty is being sold to the next big corps now that they know they can buy you with promises they don't have to deliver on
Go spout your technosolutionist bullshit elsewhere.
Tony: it’s called “buttering the cat” - inventing unneeded and harmful accessibility solutions without consulting a single disabled person about their actual needs. it’s easier to imagine yourself as the hero instead of actually helping.](https://64.media.tumblr.com/e15a80a7136588acbf82968c44567502/0b41c82d142ea4c2-05/s500x750/b2fcdef5467b5e2258162a4c50559d7ef2ca534f.png)
![Slide Title: Positionality (aka why I think my opinion is valid)
Doctoral Student in Human-Centered Design*
Topic of interest is fandom
Started researching fandom in my MS Degree
Been in fandom over a decade on multiple platforms
Freelance illustrator/animator
Lots of creative collaboration (fanzines, MAPs, etc…)
Some of my Stuff
(I don’t have any formal art training, so I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to learn.)
Tony: that’s why i do fanzines; a lesbian minds our finances while we teach each other how color theory works. firefly “no formal art education” summers out here drawing blorbos like klimt - i’m so proud
* Human-Centered Design is like… tech/engineering stuff, except maybe this time we should actually consider the cost of our actions?
[Image ID: A series of six complete illustrations, indicated to be "some of my stuff" by a light purple arrow. 1) Sora from Kingdom Hearts standing in the waves near the Destiny Islands; 2) is a headless skeleton riding a camel against a blood red moon; 3) Mr. Mime the Pokemon ominously cuts vegetables with the help of it's psychic powers; 4) Barbara from Genshin Impact strikes a fancy pose at the camera; 5) Sailor Saturn in her various stages of life, set in the style of Klimt; 6) Kid Loki sipping a juice box in the ruins of a city.
End Image ID]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/75dfb72f57d2142a9038695c210d7f1a/0b41c82d142ea4c2-05/s500x750/8b20a56d51844a99897c26f51e6f2d03333c96e1.png)
![Slide Title: What are our values?
[Table ID: A two-column table titled Comparison of Values." On one side is AI Evangelists, with the following list: Profit; Efficiency (profit); Efficacy (profit); Marketability (profit); Function/Utility (profit). The other side is titled Online Artists and contains a single question mark. \End Table ID]
(pointing to the AI Evangelists column) It’s not difficult to describe what supporters of AI image generators value–they’re capitalists. They don’t see art, they see a product, and approach it with the intent to earn profit.
Tony: tech bros run pyramid schemes and they get all their talking points from the same place; most of them even went to the same school.
Baku: yep this is literally the same con repackaged. old tech for specific uses resold with hype as "revolutionary" so people will buy in and they can shuffle the inflated value to someone else and cash out.
Sunny: A lot of people do it for attention. But in the social media world, attention is just a fancy way of saying you are marketing yourself. It is yet again for profit whether that be financial or social reputation that lead to partnerships and profit.
(pointing to the Online Artists column): It’s harder to describe the values of the online artist community–not because they don’t exist, but because until recently they’ve been implicit.
In order to define our values, it’s first important to define our community →](https://64.media.tumblr.com/22c1f3807aeaf4462efd33fa75136426/0b41c82d142ea4c2-ed/s500x750/4957cd535c46e7b40a8f90f937bd4b24e1fd032d.png)
![Slide Title: What Is The Online Artist Community?
A global cross-platform community of artists whose social infrastructure for collaboration, networking, and sharing their work exists primarily online.
The online artist community has a special relationship with the fanartist community:
A Venn Diagram (bc bitches love a Venn Diagram)
[Image ID: A Venn Diagram with two circles overlapping except for a small sliver on either side. The left side is labeled "The Fanartist Community" and the right side is labeled "The Online Artist Community." In the center it reads: They’re not 100% the same community, but there is a lot of overlap. \End Image ID]
Most of us start out drawing fanart. Some of us even make a career out of it!
Baku: aha <3
[Image ID: A two panel comparison. On the left is a picture of Marvel's Doctor Strange dressed in his wizard outfit, looking exhausted, wearing a grimace, and holding a cigarette. It's titled "artists all day" The right picture is again of Doctor Strange, but in his Spiderman: No Way Home Incarnation. He's smiling, holding a mug, and wearing relatively casual clothes. It's titled "artists in fandom for some reason. The image was inserted by Tony. \End Image ID]
So why is that important?](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d9809add7eeb0ab9e48fe554d2f2a5e4/0b41c82d142ea4c2-fa/s500x750/7ba7c0aa8e5c035ca7905d436143c57bf7e452f4.png)
![Slide Title: Community Values
1. Accessibility, Diversity, & Inclusion
2. Informal Learning & Mentorship
3. The Gift Economy
4. Authenticity
Due to its connection to fanartists and the larger transformative fandom* community, the online artist community shares a lot of similar values.
Although likely not the only values important to the online artist community, these four are particularly relevant to the issue.
Tony: we envision ourselves as participants in a community buffet - not everyone knows how to cook, but all gatherings are better with food for everyone.
[Image ID: A screenshot of a Tumblr post featuring a two panel comic. The top panel features a stick man titled "The Artist," looking disappointed at two cakes, one tiered and fancy the other plain. The stick man says "aw man, that guy's cake is way better than mine". The bottom panel features a stick man titled "The Audience," holding a fork and knife and smiling with delight. The stick man says "HOLY SHIT. TWO CAKES." Comment by tumblr user stuffman: People have written a lot of touchy-feely pieces on this subject but I thought I'd get right to the heart of the matter. Comment by tumblr user pervocracy: This is 100% more motivating than every preachy "real writers write every day" posts on all of Tumblr. The image was added by Tony \End Image ID]
* Transformative fandom refers to the subsection of fandom that focus on remix like fanart, fanfiction, fanvidding, etc… It is different from mainstream fandom, which focuses on consuming products and upholding the “canon”](https://64.media.tumblr.com/507bdcf8c16b9d19fae043faedb7033d/0b41c82d142ea4c2-a3/s500x750/f5fbc2e38f41c2f7d6ed57b9b162166452552781.png)
![Slide Title: Value #2: Informal Learning and Mentorship (1/2)
Because the online artist community is so diverse, most of us aren’t privileged to receive a formal art education.
So we mentor* and teach each other.
[Image ID: Three tutorials from different artists. The first is part of a storyboarding tutorial by tumblr user sabertoothwalrus. The second is a tutorial about how to draw the folds of different types of materials by tumblr user ash-and-starlight. The third is a tutorial about drawing a low camera angle face shot by the tumblr user miyuli. \End Image ID]
Baku: goal-wise the only thing I want is, in fact, my art getting other people to draw as well
I know we joke about Tumblr University, but seriously, look how many resources we make for each other!
Storyboarding, character design, anatomy, clothing… anything you could possibly hope to learn! For free!
Tony: if i help you learn how to draw our blorbos, we can both bring cake to the party
* Fanfiction communities have been academically studied as sites for an informal learning method called “Distributed Mentorship.” Unsurprisingly, it shows up in fanart communities as well!](https://64.media.tumblr.com/c8613c6d16cff9c2f5adf77deedbfb26/0b41c82d142ea4c2-34/s500x750/08e9a0ff95116947203d3284eb5f9c8fe8aa2daf.png)
![Slide Title: Value #2: Informal Learning and Mentorship (2/2)
Community-generated resources don’t just cover art school curriculum, but what some programs don’t cover (i.e. how to respectfully portray non-white, non-normative bodies). This is also a form of identity work and self-representation.
Tony: if we teach you how to draw blorbos that look like us, we get to see more art of them!
[Image ID: Three tutorials in the same row. The first is part of a tutorial about how to draw fat on cartoon characters by tumblr user hometownrockstar. The second is a tutorial about how to illustrate a cane by tumblr user deoidesign. The third is part of a tutorial about portraying blush on a variety of skin tones, by tumblr user cinnamonrollbakery. \EndID]
Much wow! The online artist community values doesn’t gatekeep trade knowledge because they think that everybody deserves the opportunity to make art!
Sunny: Artists want people to do art no matter the skill level. So we provide the tools. It’s because we know how it feels to not be represented. And the emotional value it has.](https://64.media.tumblr.com/3ce7f136e98e300b7293231a11f0c3a7/0b41c82d142ea4c2-71/s500x750/0c6948d03f524117b895deeea36ae7f223a78c78.png)
![Slide Title: Value #3: The Gift Economy (1/2) (aka anti-capitalism)
The online artist community (and artists in general) have inclinations towards anti-capitalism and counterculture. Internally, the culture runs on a gift economy*.
In a gift economy, the value of an artifact (i.e. artwork) is not determined by its financial worth. Instead, its value is defined by what an artifact symbolizes–the time and energy the giver spent to create something for the recipient.
Tony: you worked hard on it, that’s what matters
Baku: it's about the fact that someone looked at the art, interpreted the art, and spent the time articulating that in their art. it's interaction! it's communication! we are playing together!
[Image ID: An watermarked shutterstock graphic of a white box tied with a red ribbon. The image is titled The Gift. Four arrows point towards the gift, reacing: care, time, intent, and work. \End Image ID]
* The gift economy also applies to transformative fandom, and there is a significant amount of academic research into the social dynamics of giving and receiving fanfiction, fanart, and other creative remixes.](https://64.media.tumblr.com/010fe7cd01e7a9abb2ad6dce0503b50c/0b41c82d142ea4c2-69/s500x750/7865cafee1ce6830a08b1a75db22bce2c043d1ae.png)
![Slide Title: Value #3: The Gift Economy (2/2) (aka anti-capitalism)
You cannot divorce a gift from the giver, or from the reciprocation that it invites. It is emblematic of a community that prioritizes collaboration over competition.
[Image ID: A meme featuring a young Leonardo DiCaprio, wearing sunglasses and holding a fist full of cash. He is leaning over a balcony and and tossing the bills away. Additional edits have been added to the image, with arrows pointing to the falling cash, stating "my entire artist alley profit." Another edit along the bottom shows a lot of hearts, indicating an unseen audience below loving what is happening. The text reads: "The same artist alley." The image was added by Tony. \End Image ID]
Tony: one artist gets paid for a commission, they turn around and use that money to commission a different artist. we’re all just passing around the same 20 dollars
Sunny: Sometimes this comes in the form of “Art trades”. You can exchange equal effort artwork upon agreement.
Merch artists will also trade physical art and merchandise
AI image generators commit art theft by scraping an art piece of its symbolism and context. It disrespects the gift and renders it meaningless, in the pursuit of equally meaningless “art.”
Baku: "this feels vague and abstract" if a random pixel generator grinds up my việt phục art and spits out a set that minces up the phoenix embroidery I will personally chew and swallow it
(TBH the whole thing stinks of colonialism. See the full paper for more on that)](https://64.media.tumblr.com/f396b24b2ffe82ff6d472adc31b80012/0b41c82d142ea4c2-7e/s500x750/7ad9c631109a1e904da2b7163eabca0b9435b564.png)
![Slide Title: An Aside About “Art Theft” in the Online Artist Community
Online artists’ understanding of “art theft” isn’t bounded by US Copyright law. Instead, “art theft” is a calculation of harm.
Tony: this is what copyright law would look like if artists got to decide on the rules instead of our corporate overlords.
Although specifics may vary between artists, the reasoning goes like this:
[Table ID: A 2x3 table. The left side represents a scenario, and the right its outcome. They first one reads "Reposting another person’s art without credit" with the following points: Causes direct harm to artists by denying them social capital and the opportunity for future work; It’s rude??? The second one reads: "Selling fanart of indie media" with the following points: Usually causes direct harm to the creators of indie media by competing for the limited fandom resources; Case-by-case: some indie creators give permission for the limited sale of fanworks. The third one reads: "Selling fanart of corporate IP" with the following points: There is literally no amount of fanart we could sell that would harm The Mouse; It is always morally correct to steal from large corporations \End Table ID]
Baku (indicating the first line of the table): and also sometimes you can't tell that someone uses a cultural element in their art unless they point it out for you. can't ask the reposter those questions
Anyways, be gay, do crimes (against systems of oppression such as capitalism)](https://64.media.tumblr.com/aeda0f11ca9e6830d81d4b9b35c0997f/0b41c82d142ea4c2-23/s500x750/b3bce1dfaf837b0a4095fd320db1d114fa3fcd97.png)
![Slide Title: Value #4: Authenticity
Art isn’t just putting strokes on a canvas.
It’s an identity and a community, and demands the artist be vulnerable, to create by sharing pieces of themselves with the world.
In other words, artists value the connection between art, the artist, and the audience, because it’s tied deeply to the human experience. We respect people who put their wholeass pussy into their craft.
Tony: i create, i imagine, i think therefore i am.
People say, oh you do art? Is it a fun hobby?
No, it’s not a fun hobby. It’s a load bearing* hobby. If I don’t create art, my mental health declines. If I don’t create art, I start getting an itch deep in my soul that will slowly but steadily unsettle my entire way of being.
David Shrigley said it better than me.
[Image ID: A comic by Dave Shrigley. A white dog (or cat) sits at a piano. The text says: "He plays very badly, but it stops him from destroying things."]
*Credit for the idea of the load bearing hobby goes to baku](https://64.media.tumblr.com/473560b46952e2f73b86c54b23c6c8ca/0b41c82d142ea4c2-4b/s500x750/3d20ba4aba6e5648028b4822fff0aed3ebeca3b9.png)
![Slide Title: Art in the Machine
[Table ID: The same table as seen on Slide 06. The Table is titled Comparison of Values and is split into two columns. The first column is titled AI Evangelists, with the following points: Profit; Efficiency (profit); Efficacy (profit); Marketability (profit); Function/Utility (profit). The second column is titled Online Artists and now reads: Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion; Informal Learning & Mentorship; The Gift Economy; Authenticity \End Table ID]
tl;dr the online artist community hates AI image generators because their value system fundamentally misaligns with the people pushing the technology. However, it’s been hard to articulate this, because until recently it was implicit stuff that was just understood.
AI Evangelists have used that to their advantage in order to portray the online artist community as the antagonists, luddites standing in the way of human progress.
Baku (referencing "human progress" in the previous text): once again, very funny way of wording "hype based marketing"
Tony: the birth of these programs is predicated on a violation of our principles so egregious it aught be considered an act of war, and yet these monsters expect praise for creating the engine of our destruction.](https://64.media.tumblr.com/7107b79035712a37e8540d9fb37ca871/0b41c82d142ea4c2-32/s500x750/e3327c339fac408da6eb73ad3ce2028a4710a577.png)
![Slide Title: Rebuttals to Common Justifications [3/3]
“It’s just a tool. There’s nothing wrong with tools!”
In the same way that algorithms reflect the biases of their programmers, design is not value-neutral. AI image generators were designed without the input of artists–who should be ranked among their primary stakeholders–and thus reflect none of the community’s concerns or values. They continue to be built and used while actively fighting any attempts by the community to address these issues. It is not “just a tool” and its continued use is at best ignorance and at worst malice or indifference.
Baku: knife safety is a thing, y'know.
“It’s on the internet, so it’s free game. Don’t post your art if you don’t want it stolen or scraped.”
Victim blaming. Next question.
Tony: big talk from cowards who won’t release their own source code. y’all stole our work but won’t post your own, i see how it is.
“You’re making a blanket statement about AI. It can definitely be used creatively, and for good!”
I’m sure it can; however, the online artist community, which includes so many marginalized people, has been taken advantage of and abused far too many times over the past few decades. From the refusal to treat digital art as “real” art to NFTs to AI image generators, there is a history of technology being employed against artists in devastating ways. There is no more good faith left to believe that this time will be different.](https://64.media.tumblr.com/935cec781e619041e82de8c309e8d493/0b41c82d142ea4c2-9d/s500x750/2acef8499a46abfd7b36926736a03d3793304a5e.png)
FireflySummers’ Guide to Arguing Against the Use of AI Image Generators
(AKA I hate AI image generators so fucking much that I published a whole ass academic article on it)
Read the Paper: Art in the Machine: Value Misalignment and AI "Art"
Citation: Allred, A.M., Aragon, C. (2023). Art in the Machine: Value Misalignment and AI “Art”. In: Luo, Y. (eds) Cooperative Design, Visualization, and Engineering. CDVE 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14166. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43815-8_4
The purpose of the original paper and now this post is the following:
Provide at least one academic article that you can cite. (Full paper + citation available below)
Make explicit community values that have previously been implicit, in order to better examine your own perceptions of the online artist community, and where you sit within it.
Provide rebuttals to common pro-AI talking points, with the intention of shutting down the conversation and reclaiming the narrative.
What this paper and post cannot do:
Act as a sole authority about the online artist community and its values. We are not a monolith, and it is up to you to think critically about what, exactly, you want to take away from this discussion.
Provide a way to convince AI Evangelists that what they’re doing is wrong and bad and needs to stop. You will never convince them. Again, focus on shutting them down and reclaiming the narrative.
Final Disclaimer: I'm a very fallible researcher who is still very much learning how to do academia. I cannot speak for the entirety of the online artist community or fanartist community. We all have different lived experiences. I have done my best to include diverse voices; however if you have concerns or critiques, I am open to hearing them.
If you show up to debate in favor of AI image generators, you will be automatically blocked.
Credits:
Editors, Meme Experts, and Annotators: @starbeans-bags, @b4kuch1n, @cecilioque.
Tutorial Examples: @sabertoothwalrus, @ash-and-starlight, @miyuliart, @hometownrockstar, @deoidesign, @cinnamonrollbakery
If you have read this far, thank you very much. I hope that you have found a constructive lens for approaching the war with AI image generators, as well as a new tool for shutting down debate and reclaiming the narrative.
Begging people to stop reblogging this AI trash from “The Phantom Painter” on Instagram (instagram.com/phantom.painting). I’ve been seeing it on my dash more and more often from people who are otherwise anti-AI and either can’t tell it’s AI or don’t care because it looks cool.
This is the kind of shit that is VERY CLEARLY trained on the works of existing talented artists’ with distinct styles and this asshole is selling prints and making a profit off of stealing other people’s hard work.
Don’t give people like this money or attention and they will go away.
Please, if you’re going to buy art prints, buy them from an actual artist.
"Count the fingers, count the knuckles
Count the teeth and check the shadows..."
ah yes
that's a perfectly human amount of teeth to have
a perfectly human hand indeed
Instead of using AI to replace artists we should use AI to make these guys
Instead of doing NanoWriMo I will be doing something where I try to aim for writing an actual average of 400 words a day for the month of November in memory of Terry Pratchett, who as far as I know never thought telling a computer to write a book for you is a good way to hone your skills as a writer.
Google is going to start scraping all of their platforms to use for AI training. So, here are some alternatives for common Google tools!
Google Chrome -> Firefox
If you’re on tumblr, you’ve probably already been told this a thousand times. But FireFox is an open-source browser which is safe, fast and secure. Basically all other browsers are Chrome reskins. Try Firefox Profilemaker, Arkenfox and Librewolf! Alternatively, vanilla Firefox is alright, but get Ublock Origin, turn off pocket, and get Tabliss.
Google Search -> DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo very rarely tracks or stores your browsing data (though they have only been known to sell this info to Microsoft). Don’t use their browser; only their search engine. Domain visits in their browser get shared. Alternatively, you can also use Ecosia, which is a safe search engine that uses its income to plant trees! 🌲
Google Reverse Image Search -> Tineye
Tineye uses image identification tech rather than keywords, metadata or watermarks to find you the source of your image!
Gmail -> ProtonMail
All data stored on ProtonMail is encrypted, and it boasts self-destructing emails, text search, and a commitment to user privacy. Tutanota is also a good alternative!
Google Docs -> LibreOffice
LibreOffice is free and open-source software, which includes functions like writing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, formula editing and more.
Google Translate -> DeepL
DeepL is notable for its accuracy of translation, and is much better that Google Translate in this regard. It does cost money for unlimited usage, but it will let you translate 500,000 characters per month for free. If this is a dealbreaker, consider checking out the iTranslate app.
Google Forms -> ClickUp
ClickUp comes with a built-in form view, and also has a documents feature, which could make it a good option to take out two birds with one stone.
Google Drive -> Mega
Mega offers a better encryption method than Google Drive, which means it’s more secure.
YouTube -> PeerTube
YouTube is the most difficult to account for, because it has a functional monopoly on long-form video-sharing. That being said, PeerTube is open-source and decentralized. The Internet Archive also has a video section!
However, if you still want access to YouTube’s library, check out NewPipe and LibreTube! NewPipe scrapes YouTube’s API so you can watch YouTube videos without Google collecting your info. LibreTube does the same thing, but instead of using YouTube servers, it uses piped servers, so Google doesn’t even get your IP address. Both of these are free, don’t require sign-ins, and are open source!
Please feel free to drop your favorite alternatives to Google-owned products, too! And, if this topic interests you, consider checking out Glaze as well! It alters your artwork and photos so that it’s more difficult to use to train AI with! ⭐️
See also, "We're in a drought; conserve water!" Meanwhile, bottled water companies and golf courses for rich folk empty the aquifers.
You will not use AI to get ideas for your story. You will lie on the floor and have wretched visions like god intended
ai generated images make me increasingly sad and tired the more i see them in more and more casual contexts. i dont know how to explain, but it just fills the world with a bunch of nothing. no matter how visually stunning the pictures might be, there's nothing behind it for me. no dedication, no emotions, no feelings, no hard work or creativity, nothing i can truly think about, admire or enjoy. i dont think thats how art is supposed to be
I... I Didn't Want To !
I started this at the beginning of last fall semester and now i've finished it.... a year later-
Hey be sure to go to your blog settings, head down to visibility and turn on this little button that prevents Tumblr from stealing your posts and using it to train AI learning models. Good job, fuckheads, great update.
Everytime I struggle with something and people tell me to use Chat GPT I want to rip my teeth out
Please be aware that the "opt-out" choice is just a way to try to appease people. But Tumblr has not been transparent about when has data been sold and shared with AI companies, and there are sources that confirm that data has already been shared before the toggle was even provided to users.
Also, it seems to include data they should not have been able to give under any circumstance, including that of deactivated blogs, private messages and conversations, stuff from private blogs, and so on.
Do not believe that "AI companies will honor the "opt-out request retroactively". Once they've got their hands on your data (and they have), they won't be "honoring" an opt-out option retroactively. There is no way to confirm or deny what data do they have: The fact they are completely opaque on what do they currently "own" and have, means that they can do whatever they want with it. How can you prove they have your data if they don't give everyone free access to see what they've stolen already?
So, yeah, opt out of data sharing, but be aware that this isn't stopping anyone from taking your data. They already have been taking it, before you were given that option. Go and go to Tumblr's Suppport and leave your Feedback on this (politely, but firmly- not everyone in the company is responsible for this.)
Finally: Opt out is not good under any circumstance. Deactivated people can't opt out. People who have lost their passwords can't opt out. People who can't access internet or computers can't opt out. People who had their content reposted can't opt out. Dead people can't opt out. When DeviantArt released their AI image generator, saying that it wasn't trained on people who didn't consent to it, it was proven it could easily replicate the styles of people who had passed away, as seen here. So, yeah. AI companies cannot be trusted to have any sort of respect for people's data and content, because this entire thing is just a data laundering scheme.
Please do reblog for awareness.