AI can be a brilliant tool for creatives—but like any tool, it can also be misused. As artists, photographers, and writers, we often talk about how to use AI, but not enough about where the line is drawn. And it’s time we did.
Let’s start with the truth: not all AI-generated content is created ethically. Many popular AI models were trained on massive datasets scraped from the internet—images, text, and music created by real people, often used without their permission. This means that behind many AI images lies a ghost of someone else’s hard-earned work.
That’s where the first line is crossed: consent.
If your art is used to train an AI without your knowledge, that’s not innovation—it’s exploitation. No one likes to see a program replicate their style and mass-produce lookalikes with no credit, no payment, and no acknowledgement.
The second line? Deception.
If a creator uses AI to produce a piece and then passes it off as wholly handmade—or even worse, enters it into competitions, galleries, or commissions meant for human-created work—this isn’t clever. It’s misleading. It erodes trust between artists and their audiences and devalues the genuine effort that goes into traditional and digital art alike.
And then there’s imitation without intent.
AI models can now mimic the brushstrokes of Van Gogh or the colour schemes of a living artist you follow online. But creating in someone else’s style without learning the process, paying homage, or understanding the context is shallow at best, theft at worst. We all draw inspiration—but AI makes it possible to skip the struggle and pretend. That’s a very different thing.
Artists evolve through skill, not shortcuts. A tool that helps you grow is very different from a tool that replaces growth altogether. The line is crossed when we stop creating and start copying.
So how do we stay on the right side of the line?
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Be transparent. If AI assisted your process, say so.
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Don’t pass off generated content as handmade.
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Avoid entering AI-created work into contests or commissions without disclosure.
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Push for platforms and models that use opt-in datasets and respect creator rights.
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If you’re using AI to mimic a certain style, make it part of a learning process—not a product you claim as your own.
This isn’t about banning technology. It’s about keeping the heart of creativity intact. Art is not just what you produce—it’s how and why you make it. AI can support that journey, but it shouldn’t replace the human story at the centre of it.
Because the moment we stop caring about process, consent, and credit—we stop being artists. And that’s the line we must never cross.
