Are you an artist worried about the implications of text-to-image generators? Shutterstock has recently launched an AI image generator with an ethical focus. In this blog post, we’ll explore the implications of this launch and why it matters to you.
Allegations of Copyright Infringement
Recently, AI News reported that Getty Images has filed a lawsuit against Stable Diffusion creator Stability AI over alleged copyright infringement. An independent analysis of 12 million of the 2.3 billion images used to train Stable Diffusion found that it used a large number of images from stock image websites and platforms with high amounts of user-generated content. This has caused many human artists to express concern about text-to-image generators harming their livelihoods.
Shutterstock’s Ethical Approach
Shutterstock has taken a different approach to AI image generation. The company claims its AI image generator is trained using assets that represent the diversity of the world we live in and pays royalties to the artists whose works contributed to the development of these models. Paul Hennessy, CEO at Shutterstock, commented:
“Shutterstock has developed strategic partnerships over the past two years with key industry players like OpenAI, Meta, and LG AI Research to fuel their generative AI research efforts, and we are now able to uniquely bring responsibly-produced generative AI capabilities to our own customers. Our easy-to-use generative platform will transform the way people tell their stories — you no longer have to be a design expert or have access to a creative team to create exceptional work. Our tools are built on an ethical approach and on a library of assets that represents the diverse world we live in, and we ensure that the artists whose works contributed to the development of these models are recognised and rewarded.”
One-Stop Shop for Image Creation
Shutterstock’s generator aims to be a “one-stop-shop” for creating images. Over 20 languages are supported and images can be created from just a single word and customised using a style picker. You can get started with Shutterstock’s image generation platform here.
In conclusion, Shutterstock’s AI image generator is a welcome addition to the industry. By taking an ethical approach to image creation, Shutterstock is setting a new standard for text-to-image generators.