I have strong negative feelings about OpenAI and similar companies harvesting countless creative works in order to duplicate their styles, without seeking permission from, or paying license fees to, the original artists. I see this as quite different from image generators created by the artists or with their blessing, such as this Powerpuff Girls one I tried out in 2016: https://funcrunch.org/blog/2016/04/13/on-powerpuffs-unicorns-and-trans-inclusion/

As a photographer, I see the widespread use of AI image generation as fundamentally different from the transition of painting to photography, and it's not just a matter of skill. A human photographer needs to, at minimum, be physically present at the location of the subject they are photographing. AI generators have no such limits.

Unfortunately, I see the widespread adoption of AI for creative works as inevitable at this point. I will continue to avoid using AI-generated images myself, however.

As others have said, it's regrettable that instead of AI lightening the burden of everyday chores so people can produce more creative work, it's replacing that creative work itself, and eliminating the careers of creative people.

Due to an excess of spammers and scammers, I am disabling comments for the time being.