The ethical concerns around AI training data apply to both image generators and large language models (LLMs).

Image generators like Stable Diffusion and DALL-E were all built on a dataset called LAION that was created from billions of images in Getty Images, Flickr, Behance, Pinterest, and websites.

There are several real concerns when it comes to AI. One of them is about resources, specifically water and power. Datacenters or “server farms” require fresh water to cool down and power to work.

The concept of artificial intelligence has been around for a while.

Was Artificial Intelligence (AI) part of your vocabulary prior to 2022? AI’s been around for decades, and you’ve been using it every day. Have you used Google Maps or Waze to get to a destination recently? AI. Used your face to unlock your phone? AI. Asked Siri or Alexa a question? AI. Autocorrect, spellcheck, Google search, customer service chatbots, texts about weird charges on your credit card, photographing a check to deposit, Amazon and Netflix recommendations, auto-masking in Photoshop… that’s all powered by AI.

These applications of AI technology haven’t raised much concern or controversy. But professional photographers and artists worldwide are in an uproar and asking questions about an AI usage that applies to nearly everything we do. AI Art.

Exactly what is AI art? Is it legal, copyrightable, ethical? Should you use it? Will AI art kill fields like professional photography, graphic design, and illustration? By exploring the history, mechanisms, and current legalities of AI art, perhaps we can reach some conclusions.