Hot Topic: Is AI Art Stealing?
In the past year, the use of AI has become widespread. Companies and individuals all over the world are beginning to use AI for a number of daily tasks, such as scheduling appointments, answering phones, and more.
What’s worse is that several companies have begun using AI for the creative aspects of their business as well, using technology for the writing and art tasks usually carried out by a marketing team.
But is using AI to complete these tasks truly theft? There are arguments on both sides of the debate. Read on as we dissect them and come to a conclusion.
How Does AI Work?
Before we delve into the heart of the debate, we need to discuss how AI is able to produce images and written content.
AI, at its base, is a software program that uses an algorithm to learn and produce content. To learn, an AI program must be fed the content it is intended to produce. So, an AI art bot would need to be fed art, and a writing bot (like ChatGPT) would need to be fed several pieces of writing.
To be clear, we aren’t talking about just 5 or even 10 pieces of content. In order to learn, AI algorithms must be fed hundreds upon thousands of whatever content they are intended to produce.
As AI software is being fed content, it is taking all of it and watching for patterns, similar to what humans do as they learn a new skill. Over time, the AI begins to develop an algorithm for the patterns it is seeing, whether that is in written text or in art.
After AI software has been trained, an individual can put in keywords, and the AI software will run them through the algorithm it has created and piece together from what it has seen in order to produce a new piece.
Related: How to Opt-Out of AI on All Platforms
Is AI Theft?
This is where we get down to the meat of a debate. As many will say, since AI functions the same way as humans do when they learn, it can’t possibly be theft.
But on the other side of the argument, you have to remember that AI didn’t come up with any ideas. Rather, it came up with a method for mixing and matching ideas. When someone puts a prompt out there, AI pulls from all the content it has learned from in order to produce something new.
If you think of the fact that AI can’t take photos or paint images, that means when it is producing art (specifically visual art), it is mixing and matching what already exists. This is, in essence, theft. Although people will argue that human artists do this, remember human artists are looking at existing art and creating their own. AI software is pulling parts from art and rehashing them with other art because it cannot physically paint on its own. More proof of this is the several famous images that surfaced in the last year created by AI, which contained bits of an artist's signature—another sign that it isn’t creating this art on its own as some pro-AI people will have you believe.
This all boils down to one thing: AI art CANNOT be copyrighted, meaning it cannot be used for commercial purposes. Therefore, while it isn’t explicitly stealing, you don’t own the result either—and that should make you feel weird.
Of course, with written art, the line is blurred and grayer, as the AI software mixes and matches words, which is how language functions anyway. So, with this argument, AI writing is not theft, as it is doing the same thing a writer would do. The problem comes into play when you start to discuss larger written pieces, like novels or movie scripts. Remember, AI can’t actually come up with its own ideas; it can only remix what it has learned in an appealing manner. In simpler terms, it can’t think of new twists or stories; it can only pull from what exists.
And that, right there, is why the writers in Hollywood went on strike in 2023. While AI can be used to create marketing content, it cannot and should not be used to produce full-length novels, as it can’t actually create anything new. Therefore, while AI writing isn’t theft, it shouldn’t be revered either.
What is Going to Happen With AI?
Unfortunately, even though AI is inherently a type of creative theft, it is so easy to use that it is rising in popularity around the world. While educated individuals see the damage and usually choose to avoid such tools, many less educated individuals don’t see the harm and use AI to boost their own careers.
This means that no matter what you do, AI is gaining traction. Our only hope to protect human intellectual and creative rights is to petition for the government to regulate AI. While this won’t prevent individuals from using it, it can help individuals to stop taking credit and making careers out of someone else’s creative power.
Honestly, the government, especially the United States government, has long lacked care for jobs based on creative abilities. We truly believe that most governments will do nothing about AI until it begins to encroach on an industry that makes them money. What will be the breaking point, we can’t say for sure. But for now, we assume it will be something in the medical or oil industries, as many of them feed the pockets of politicians. (On a positive note, the EU has already begun working on anti-AI regulations).
Related: The Surge of AI: What it Means for the Future
What Can You Do About AI?
The number one way to stop the harm done by AI is not to use AI. Though it is available, take time to use your own creative powers or buy from other creatives who don’t use AI. Additionally, if there is something you can’t do on your own, hire a real human artist to help you out. There are many graphic designers and writers out there looking for work who will be glad to help you boost your marketing.
Plus, since AI work can’t be copyrighted, it’s better to hire a human, because if you do make it big, then at least you’ll be able to make money off of it. We hope you understand.
