Japanese artists share almost unanimous concerns about AI and its impact on their livelihoods.
Originally reported by Anime News Network, a recent survey by the Japan Art Workers Association of about 25,000 artists found that around 94% of Japanese creators are “concerned that AI could cause harmful effects such as violations of rights.” Some participants also reported negative AI-related incidents. These cases include when AI steals their artwork and reposts it on foreign websites, or when AI steals published voice samples available on the web, alters them, and resells them.
AI artwork is famous for being derived from existing works. When Shueisha published the first AI-generated manga, Cyberpunk: Peach John, readers quickly noticed its similarity to Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul. These cases have become so prominent that Japanese artists have begun demanding protections against AI. A group, consisting of 30 illustrators across the country, was explicitly formed to protest the lack of protection from AI services like MIMIC, which allows users to upload and receive AI-generated artwork out to copy existing works.
AI is already starting to impact creative jobs
Artists are also starting to lose their jobs because of AI. In China, several major game studios have started using AI imaging tools that can create usable artwork in seconds, removing the high-paying illustration jobs from the industry. branch. In these cases, human artists are usually only called in to correct minor errors that frequently occur during rendering. However, this may not be the final direction for the gaming industry, as major game studios like Capcom have banned the use of AI art due to concerns of violating copyright laws.
While some entities are pushing back against AI, many prominent Japanese innovators feel that’s not enough. Iconic horror manga artist Junji Ito explains that his biggest fear is being displaced by AI, as he acknowledges its potential to be a legitimate competitor in the industry. “I drew a manga called Uzumaki once,” Ito said. “The vortex pattern exists naturally and fear is linked, and the swirl pattern is seen by chance until they become frightening. In this way, I wanted to create a story where the unexpected turns scary in front of the AI.”
In addition to its survey, the Japan Art Workers Association has suggested more government regulation for AI-generated works of art. They also state that, in the interest of protecting artists, AI-generated works are required to display the data they derive from and/or the original artist must be compensated for their role. them in creating the work.
Source: Anime News Network