John Scalzi: So, hey, over on Whatever today I have something important to say about "AI" art and my book covers, and why moving forward it'll be an actual contract point that my book covers have to be human-created. whatever.scalzi.com/2024/06/21/a...

So, hey, over on Whatever today I have something important to say about "AI" art and my book covers, and why moving forward it'll be an actual contract point that my book covers have to be human-created. whatever.scalzi.com/2024/06/21/a...

A Note on “AI” Art and My Book Coverswhatever.scalzi.com Well, Goddamnit, it looks like some “AI”-generated art got onto one of my covers, specifically, the cover to the Italian edition of Starter Villain. Some (actual human) artists tracked …

Thanks for putting scare quotes around "AI." This should be standard practice but for some reason isn't. There's nothing intelligent" about it.

I'd prefer the scare quotes go around "art", since art is a form of expression, and computers can't generate authentic expressions, only mimic them.

True. Really they belong around both.

I prefer the term "GenAI image", which is as hype-free as I can make it. Art has nothing to do with the output, and "generative ai" removes the mystique the techbros are trying to impart to their spicy algorithmic plagiarism.

So this sucks but you handled it really well and I think that your contract changes and policy changes are good. Nonsense happens but the response speaks volumes positively.

While I was using speech to text to compose this, I kept having to delete, "help help help I'm near the trampoline" because my son is in the other room playing video games. #TheFuture

Yeah, seeing Adobe's name on the stock image watermark, I'm not at all surprised it turned out to be "AI" generated. No "art" company is more focused on grift and scams than Adobe.

It's on more than one site, though, so I'm not sure how much blame you can lay on Adobe. I used it as an example simply because I have an Adobe account.

Re: Photoshop "AI" I will use "Generative Fill" to complete something that's already in the image I'm using, but I will NOT use it to add something completely new to an image. It can save me hours otherwise spent cloning to add/remove things.

Yeah, but that's basically a fancy brush. The only ethical problem with that is that the training data was either strongarmed or involved no consent at all. If not for that it's downright acceptable.

Thank you!

I admittedly have no idea how licensing cover art works but it seems especially scummy that you already had essentially this art made by an actual artist and they felt the need to recreate it, worse, with "AI" instead of just paying the original artist.

I mean, there are a lot of pictures of cats in suits, many of which predate the appearance of my US cover. I want to be careful about claiming that idea as wholly original.

In fact, my cat even comes with her own suit.

Sure but most of them aren't literally already the (very recognizable) cover of this book. Like, is that cat supposed to look more Italian than the original?

In US Copyright, it's all about the execution, not the idea. And in this case, since it was executed by a computer, there is no copyright protection, so a licensing fee is kind of ludicrous.

In this case they are talking about the Italian publisher licensing the American cover art (which is purrrly human art). (With the current state of the licensing fee, it is sometimes cheaper to hire a local artist, or, as in this case, go for a stock art)

Everyday @scalzi.com out here being an awesome human

Y'know, they COULD have just licenced the art from the US version and saved themselves both time and embarrassment. Just sayin'.

It's ridiculous that they're charging for it, since we all know that AI-generated art isn't legally protected by copyright.

Well done, sir! When I get a portfolio together I may reach out to asfa-art.com for help in entering the sci-fi cover market so thanks for letting me know it exists.

Home | ASFA Community Networkasfa-art.com Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists ASFA is a non-profit, educational 501(c)(3) association made up of artists, publishers, collectors and others with an interest in the genre. Previous N...

I don't think this applies to your specific situation, but as an FYI, it seems like some sites are flagging files as AI erroneously based on the metadata. Might be something to have your team look out for, too: bsky.app/profile/svtw...

#kidlitart IG experience of @kyletwebster.bsky.social I saw the 'made with AI' button on IG but it seems there's an another thread to this AI web. Paraphrase: IG tag made with AI when exporting on Adobe bec ( read thread, see screenshot convo)👇👇. This is a too much for my lunch break brain.

Check @kyletwebster.bsky.social On X where he's posts are more up to date, pls share update bluesky community too >>>> x.com/kyletwebster...

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Yeah, I was wondering about this also.

Damn, now I see that I could have also commented on this article here. Is there a reason why the artists who designed your covers don't get credited in your books? That might be an effective way to avoid AI covers.

I mean

Now I found it. On the back I've looked for this information on the copyright page. (I hope sending you that mail wasn't too bothersome)

Cover art credits are usually on the back flap of hardcovers or the back cover of paperbacks. On mass market paperbacks they are sometimes on the copyright page, but that's become less common.

This is one reason I go out of the way to credit cover artists (as well as others who work on the book) in my acknowledgements. Aside from that it's good manners, as well as a way to make the point that the writer is not the only one involved in making a book people want to pick up and take home.

No doubt - there have been MANY books in the past that caught my eye first, then a quick read of a random page decided whether I bought it or now. Without that cover art, most wouldn't have been noticed among the hundreds/thousands.

When John posted this on his blog, I went to my shelf and checked some of my books who designed the covers. In most books in German and those in French that I have the cover artists were credided on the copyright page. Well, it seems to be different from region to region.

Crediting on the printed cover has a number of logistical advantages: -Unbound covers or dust jackets are sent out as promotional materials -Cover art and the interior text may be finalized at different times -Books may be reissued with different cover art

Someone else knows how to spell Kristine properly. My wife will be happy. :-)

How dare you make it in large print where someone could read it

Good for you! AI "art" is just mechanized theft

You say "must be created by a human artist", but a human most definitely did "create" this art in a sense; computers don't just decide to create art by themselves. These humans "cheated", but the distinction between what is considered cheating and what is considered original art is getting blurry.

No one believes that with regard to the generation of the art. A prompt is not creation. That's like saying speaking your order into the drive-in mic means you cooked your burger and fries.

It's the difference between driving a car and knowing where the taxi rank is.

I commissioned an artist to create character art for my and my wife's D&D characters. I gave her a 'prompt' of a very basic description and a bit of their vibe. She created the art all on her own. And it was awesome, money well spent and supporting human artists. I created nothing.

Bingo. Telling AI programmed by someone else to create an image isn’t drawing or graphic design or anything creative. It’s an Uber Eats order. And you get what you get.

“And I helped!”

And I heard this in her voice!

I hear it. I hear a little kid's countrified voice. And I'm seeing the box in my mind's eye.

That’s the best analogy I’ve seen thus far.

Speaking of drive-throughs: bsky.app/profile/wolv...

Remember how we told you the whole "AI Drive-thru" thing was a terrible idea? Well: Womp wommmmp. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Look, I'm all for removing AI, BUT... bacon-topped ice cream IS NOT A MISHAP. It's a happynstance.

You've never appreciated the effort I put into curating my McDonald's order, John.

Which burger chain has the slogan "Have It Your Way"? Because I'm going to go there, to fully express my culinary vision.

That was Burger King. Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, Special orders don't upset us.

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