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AI-Generated Action Figure Trend Takes Over Social Media, Sparks Debate Among Artists
Artificial intelligence action figures have recently flooded social media platforms, capturing widespread attention as users employed tools like ChatGPT to transform their likenesses into miniature, toy-like representations. This viral phenomenon showcases the rapid evolution of AI-generated art and its increasing integration into online culture.
These AI action figure creations, often referred to as “starter packs” for individuals, feature digitally rendered dolls that closely resemble the subjects. These personalized figures are enhanced with miniature accessories reflecting the person’s interests or profession – think miniature laptops, iced coffees, cameras, or running shoes. Each digital toy is typically labeled with the subject’s name and job title, adding a layer of personal identity to the trend.
The Rise of AI Meme Cycles and Creative Concerns
This action figure craze represents the latest iteration in the expanding world of AI-driven memes. Internet users, once they discover novel applications of artificial intelligence for generating artwork, quickly inspire a ripple effect, encouraging others to produce similar content using the same prompts or themes. However, the proliferation of AI-inspired trends over recent years has simultaneously triggered growing discussions and anxieties about their broader impact, particularly concerning environmental implications and the potential depreciation of value placed on human creative labor.
The “starter packs” gained significant momentum in recent days, fueled by participation from various brands and public personalities who embraced the trend and created their own versions.
Artist Frustration and the #StarterPackNoAI Movement
Holly Rolfe, a UK-based illustrator and ceramicist who markets her creations online, expressed her frustration upon witnessing the surge in popularity of AI action figures. She noted her disappointment as the trend rapidly gained traction.
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“The most disheartening aspect was observing small businesses, particularly those in creative fields, and even graphic designers, jumping on this trend,” Rolfe stated. “In my view, it underscores the lack of awareness prevalent in larger commercial entities and widens the gap between corporations and consumers. Every single one of these businesses, even smaller ones, possessed the financial means to commission a human artist. Regrettably, they chose not to.”
In response, numerous artists, including Rolfe, began disseminating their own hand-drawn interpretations of the trend. These artistic responses were shared across social media platforms using the hashtag #StarterPackNoAI, effectively launching a counter-movement against the inundation of AI-produced content.
Copyright Debates and AI Learning
OpenAI, the prominent artificial intelligence firm responsible for ChatGPT, is currently embroiled in legal disputes. Several news organizations, authors, and visual artists have filed lawsuits against the company, alleging copyright infringement. Concurrently, OpenAI has appealed to the U.S. government to streamline the process for AI companies to utilize copyrighted material for learning purposes, arguing this is essential to “consolidate America’s leadership” in global technological advancement.
In an emailed statement, an OpenAI spokesperson communicated that their image generation technologies “are designed to bolster human creativity, not substitute it. They aim to empower individuals to explore concepts and articulate themselves in novel ways.”
AI Sophistication and Imitation of Artistic Styles
As generative AI systems become increasingly sophisticated and readily accessible, numerous AI models are demonstrating the capacity to produce images that emulate the distinct styles of specific artists or studios with remarkable accuracy.
Last month, ChatGPT-generated memes and portraits inspired by the characteristic animation style of Studio Ghibli permeated the internet, raising potential copyright concerns among online users. This surge also prompted some observers to recall past statements made by Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, who famously described AI-generated art as “an insult to life itself.”
OpenAI previously informed NBC News that while their systems are designed to prevent image generation “in the style of individual living artists,” they do “permit broader studio styles.” Studio Ghibli did not provide a response to requests for comment last month regarding the AI-generated images crafted in their distinctive animation style.
Artist Concerns Over Economic Impact and Data Usage
Rachel Dormal, a graphic designer based in Michigan who sells her artwork online, voiced her apprehensions regarding artists potentially being displaced from their professions. She fears this could happen as consumers increasingly opt for more affordable, instantly generated AI commissions over original, human-created artwork, which inherently involves greater cost due to artists’ time, skill, and labor.
Furthermore, the majority of AI developers maintain opacity concerning the specific datasets employed to train their AI models. This lack of transparency has fueled concerns about the potential unauthorized appropriation of human artistic creations without the knowledge or authorization of the original artists.
“Many individuals fail to grasp the vast amounts of training data absorbed to produce a lifeless replica of an artist’s style. Some artists dedicate their entire careers to developing a unique artistic identity, only to have it appropriated and rebranded as ‘AI style,’” Dormal explained. “Studio Ghibli serves as a prominent example. However, this phenomenon impacts lesser-known, independent artists daily.”
Artists Respond with “Real Human Art”
Dormal was among the multitude of online artists who responded by sharing their own interpretations of the “starter pack” trend. She crafted a personalized version using the digital art software Procreate. In her digital artwork, the package label was marked “Real Human Artist,” clearly distinguishing it from AI-generated content.
April Schweiss, a digital artist based in Kentucky, also participated in the trend, illustrating herself as an action figure accompanied by accessories emblematic of her life, such as her cat Fred, her composition notebook, and roller skates. Schweiss indicated that since the emergence of AI-generated images in the online marketplace, she has encountered increasing challenges in earning a sustainable income from her illustration work.
“It’s nearly impossible to compete with individuals utilizing AI to design apparel and employing drop shipping services, enabling them to upload 150 designs monthly, whereas I might only produce five paintings in the same period,” Schweiss elaborated. “This AI-driven artist might achieve 10,000 sales, while my sales might only reach three.”
The Temptation and the Soul in Art
For Haley Weaver, a writer and illustrator who has shared her artwork online for nearly a decade, the internet community’s ready embrace of AI-powered trends is not entirely unexpected.
Weaver, based in Seattle, expressed understanding regarding the appeal of tools that allow users to visualize themselves as various fictional characters, such as a Disney princess, a Studio Ghibli character, or an action figure, particularly when these options are faster and more cost-effective than commissioning human artists.
“However, there is also a profound sense of melancholy associated with this shift. And it is unsettling for someone who currently earns a living as an artist,” Weaver acknowledged, reiterating that throughout her professional journey, she has frequently encountered instances of her artistic style being reposted or even commercially exploited without proper authorization.
More recently, she has also discovered that certain AI models have the capability to generate written content that closely mimics her distinct writing tone when prompted to produce text “in the style of @haleydrewthis.”
Weaver commented that while she initially found the AI-generated starter packs “charming,” it was only upon witnessing artists’ hand-drawn renditions of the meme that the action figures began to possess a sense of “soulfulness.” On her own “Haley Weaver Starter Pack,” she deliberately included the label “100% AI Free!”
“There’s an immediate gratification in inputting personal details, uploading a photograph, and instantaneously seeing yourself transformed into an action figure. Yet, from my personal experience, a significant portion of the gratification also stems from the creative process itself – from investing the time and thoughtful engagement,” Weaver concluded. “Furthermore, there’s a beauty in the diversity of individual artistic styles. A considerable portion of AI art tends to exhibit a uniformity in aesthetic.”