#the ai problem

[durnesque-esque]

This is their plan. They want to break the writers. They want to break this industry and everyone around it for their bottom lines. They do not care about anything, but profit.

And it will not stop here, it will impact EVERY CONTRACT DOWN THE LINE FOR EVERY UNION IN THE INDUSTRY. And the impact will ripple through every industry in entertainment hubs: LA, NY, ATL, etc.

"Convinced that “giving in,” as another insider put it, to the writers will result in every contract cycle from the WGA, IATSE, the Teamsters and more ending in a strike, the AMPTP is aiming for the bottom line."

Please continue to support the Writers. If SAG-AFTRA joins in tonight, support them too.

This is not just about the entertainment industry, this is about the impact and power of workers standing together. Everyone in this country is suffering from being underpaid. Unions are our power to fight against that.

The holdouts are NOT the workers on strike, it's the Producers & Executives. It's THEIR fault this is going on. It's THEIR fault the industry has ground to a halt because they won't pay fair wages and they would rather use AI to spin endless and souless profit than pay people to do the work.

Here's the article I quoted. Here's another discussing the AI issue.

July 12, 2023 9AM PST.

SOLIDARITY FOREVER!

[medusaspeach]

Ngl I'm not sure if I even want to post my artwork on Tumblr anymore, given that it seems like whether you toggle the switch or not, AI bots are likely to scrape your work regardless. On the other hand, it feels like no place is really safe from scraping anyway. But the whole AI deal Tumblr made continues to leave a bad taste in my mouth. I post over on IG too but it's really not my favorite to showcase artwork/comics. I've been thinking of migrating to Bluesky... I have an account there but it sits empty. I don't know... What do you think?

[writing-desk-rae]

Making the commitment to block and mute people on ao3 who post AI written fics

[tofiam]

oh my gods

[dontdenymeshakespeare]

I Quit NaNo (& Nov. writing plans)

CONTENT WARNING: There are brief mentions (and talk) of grooming in this blog post. Since 2011 my writing life in autumn has revolved around two things – Preptober and NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an event that takes place from 1-30 November every year with the original objective of writing 50,000 words in a month. Preptober is the name the community has given to…

[slushy-sash]

why is bro in port ormos when he works at the akademiya

[robinade]

Lmao can confirm this is still happening. I google “is there a snake fight for a thesis defense?”

Google AI Overview

Yes, some universities have a tradition of including a "snake fight" portion in thesis defenses, where students fight one of the university's snakes. The quality of the student's thesis determines the size of the snake they must fight, with better theses resulting in smaller snakes. After the committee reads the thesis, they tell the snake master how good it is, who then chooses the snake. In some northern European countries, an external examiner called the "opponent" fights the snake on the student's behalf, with the opponent's skill level based on the thesis's quality.

[nando161mando]

They will decide to kill you eventually.

[ask-the-rag-dolly]

anyways good episode

[ahb-writes]

(from The Mitchells vs. the Machines, 2021)

[includedisco]

Importance of writing the self-indulgent story that you do want to write in exactly the way you want to write it

You won't find anything weird about being your own story's biggest fan. You wrote it in a way that's exactly what you envision the characters being. So you'll click on that thing without reservation or shame, enjoy the hell out of it and pat yourself on the back each time.

Your own story will be your absolute favorite in the world because it'll be perfect for YOU.

Why wait impatiently and frustratedly for a different author to write your fantasy for you? And no DON'T you dare say it's because that other writer is better than you.

No writer is perfect. We can all learn, improve and get better. If you have an idea in your mind, go learn how to bring it to life. Ask other authors, read other books/fanfics, watch videos on writing tips etc.

But stay away from AI. That shit is unforgivable.

Loving one's own work as a writer is tough but once you do get there, I believe that's the true meaning of self love for a writer.

[medusaspeach]

I think you're right that there's, unfortunately, not many safe places to post artwork. Maybe, if you're comfortable with it, you could create a YT channel for speed drawing and maybe doing a voiceover about the mythology or something. That'd be considerably more work, but it also has the chance of earning your revenue which could be nice.

Anyway, I'd stick around on Tumblr if you're not comfortable with Instagram. You could start gradually switching over; posting a little there, a little here, plugging your Insta on these posts, and eventually migrating over, but if I'm going to be honest, I don't know that it matters much, considering many places are unsafe for artists in the AI sense. At least Tumblr gives the option of not having your work scraped, but unfortunately, no system is perfect, and there will always be that asshole who does it anyway. I think we can really only hope that AI ends up being a phase, similar to how NFTs have mostly died out by now. I see a lot of AI opposition these days, so fingers are crossed as an artist myself. 🤞

I've actually been toying with the idea of doing some drawing videos for a while now... maybe I'll actually get to it. 🫠

I don't mind Instagram for certain things, it's got a nice gallery format for phones. I will most likely continue to post my work here (for now), but plan to start gradually posting over on Bsky at some point.

I get so annoyed when I see AI art, it's fast and cheap compared to hiring artists and so I imagine some people/companies will continue to use it. I just hope for more regulation. I see people selling "their" Ai artwork on stickers and prints on Etsy all the time, and it drives me nuts.

[minamill]

since i've seen people being unaware or uncaring about the catastrophic toll generative ai has on both the environment and the workers behind it here's some information about what that toll is actually like. i'd encourage everyone to read the full articles, but i've highlighted some important parts for convenience

Q&A: Uncovering the labor exploitation that powers AI

Generative AI’s environmental costs are soaring — and mostly secret

How 'modern-day slavery' in the Congo powers the rechargeable battery economy

[thevioletcaptain]

i genuinely don't care how good a piece of ai generated art or writing looks on the surface. i don't care if it emulates brush strokes and metaphor in a way indistinguishable from those created by a person.

it is not the product of thoughtful creation. it offers no insights into the creator's life or viewpoint. it has no connection to a moment in time or a place or an attitude. it has no perspective. it has no value.

it's empty, it's hollow, and it exists only to generate clicks (and by extension, ad revenue.)

it's just another revolting symptom of the disease that is late stage capitalism, and it fucking sucks.

[yaolmao]

simp

[notbecauseofvictories]

Last post, I promise, but I do think it’s good and important to see local art (defining that term as broadly as possible) but in my experience you have to put up with the little kick of embarrassment you feel witnessing something too earnest, a little clumsy, not polished within an inch of its life or in step with prevailing trends.

I’m thinking of the dance performances I saw this weekend, but also last week’s street festival, where I watched short films and walked through local art exhibits; I’m thinking about Chicago’s outsider art museum, and even the elaborately decorated (ostensibly tacky) yards I see in rural Illinois, but South Carolina and Tennessee before that, and Michigan before that. Maybe I should cast an even broader net: my aunt’s cross stitch, my grand-aunt’s horrible poetry; the art they display at the nearby retirement community and the halfway house too, which comes from the residents.

If you’re not used to leaving space for that little kick, you might turn away or scoff at all this small, fumbling art. But I think there’s value in forcing yourself to look beyond that initial stab of secondhand embarrassment---to actually appreciate the art in front of you as an expression of something deeply human. You don’t have to think it’s objectively good, or even subjectively good. You don’t have to pretend that a local woman with a talent for oils is the next [INSERT FAMOUS ARTIST HERE]. But I do think you have to appreciate it, because otherwise there is no entrance into making art yourself.

And that, more than anything, is worth preserving.