Procreate Takes a Stand Against Generative AI in Digital Art

A Popular iOS Illustration App Is Saying No to Generative AI

"I really fucking hate generative AI," says Procreate CEO James Cuda, who believes the technology is "ripping the humanity out of things." On Sunday, Procreate announced that it will not incorporate generative AI into its popular iPad illustration app. The decision comes in response to an ongoing backlash from some parts of the art community, which has raised concerns about the ethical implications and potential consequences of AI use in creative industries. "Generative AI is ripping the humanity out of things," Procreate wrote on its website. "Built on a foundation of theft, the technology is steering us toward a barren future." In a video posted on X, Procreate CEO James Cuda laid out his company's stance, saying, "We're not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products. I don't like what's happening to the industry, and I don't like what it's doing to artists." Cuda's sentiment echoes the fears of some digital artists who feel that AI image synthesis models, often trained on content without consent or compensation, threaten their livelihood and the authenticity of creative work. That's not a universal sentiment among artists, but AI image synthesis is often a deeply divisive subject on social media, with some taking starkly polarized positions on the topic. Cuda's video plays on that polarization with clear messaging against generative AI. His statement reads as follows: The debate over generative AI has intensified among some outspoken artists as more companies integrate these tools into their products. Dominant illustration software provider Adobe has tried to avoid ethical concerns by training its Firefly AI models on licensed or public domain content, but some artists have remained skeptical. Adobe Photoshop currently includes a Generative Fill feature powered by image synthesis, and the company is also experimenting with video synthesis models.

Tech CEO Admits That He "Really F*cking Hates" Generative AI

"We're not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products." Acclaimed iPad digital painting app Procreate is declining to incorporate generative AI into its platform -- and its CEO isn't mincing words. "I fucking hate generative AI," Procreate CEO James Cuda said in a brief company video, posted yesterday to Procreate's official X-formerly-Twitter account. "I don't like what's happening in the industry, and I don't like what it's doing to artists," Cuda continued. "We're not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products." Procreate's AI dissension separates it from other design and graphics companies, like Adobe and Figma, that have chosen to embrace generative AI tools. And based on the responses online? The company's hardline turn away from broader industry trends is resonating with its artist-driven user base. Procreate doubles down on its anti-AI position on its website, where, on a dedicated AI webpage it declares that "AI is not our future." "Creativity is made, not generated. Generative AI is ripping the humanity out of things. Built on a foundation of theft, the technology is steering us toward a barren future," the page continues. "We're here for the humans." On the one hand, there could definitely be some preemptive legal benefits to side-stepping generative AI for now. Just last week, a group of artists were awarded a victory in a lawsuit filed against the AI image-generating companies Stability AI and Midjourney, with a judge ruling that the suit -- in which the artists argue that Stability and Midjourney used stolen, copyrighted artwork to train an AI model that ultimately threatens their jobs -- would be allowed to continue, albeit with a few claims dismissed. But possible legal messiness aside, it feels notable that in an industry where humans are losing jobs to generative AI programs, Procreate appears to be drawing a sharply ethical line in the sand. Or, at the very least, just listening to their customers -- who shockingly might not want to see their life's work swallowed up into an AI dataset for commercial purposes. "Now THIS is how a company for artists supports artists!" one happy artist wrote in response to the company's video. "By respecting and empowering them, NOT by taking advantage of them!"

Procreate's Stance on AI Is Commendable and Other Companies Should Follow

A popular illustration app for iPads, Procreate proudly announced its stance on Generative AI. If you were hoping to see the AI capabilities in the Procreate app, then CEO James Cuda's statement on X might leave you disappointed. On August 19, 2024, Procreate posted a video on X where CEO James Cuda said that Procreate is AI-free and they have no plans to add any generative AI to their products. "I really fucking hate generative AI. I don't like what's happening in the industry and I don't like what it's doing to artists."- James Cuda Procreate's reasons for avoiding AI are that "AI is not our future" and"creativity is made, not generated," according to a bold & clear statement on the Procreate website. Furthermore, the website states that "Generative AI is ripping humanity out of things" and the company believes that AI is "Built on a foundation of theft and the technology is steering us toward a barren future." The company further explained that neither they have access to users' work, nor do they track users' activity in the apps. They clearly said that the works created by artists in the Procreate app will remain available only to the artist. It's not that Procreate doesn't see the possibilities and potential for AI, but they feel that there's no place for AI in the creative space. "We think machine learning is a compelling technology with a lot of merit, but the path generative AI is on is wrong for us." Procreate clearly mentioned that, unlike other creative tools, they won't use artists' works to train and implement generative AI tools. The company feels AI is a moral threat to its greatest jewel- human creativity, and I couldn't agree more. I personally appreciate Procreate for focusing on artists and respecting their hard-earned skills in an era where most companies are putting AI in everything they make to win the AI race. CEO James Cuda's anti-AI stance sheds some light on one of the growing worries in artist communities that generative AI undermines the value of human-created art, which is absolutely true. Big players in the digital art space like Canva and Adobe are integrating a spectrum of AI capabilities for generating and editing multimedia. Such tools are trained on human-created art, with or sometimes even without your consent. Also, they are a potential risk in replacing jobs in creative industries. Ever since AI was integrated into creativity tools, a lot of artists and creatives feel that their livelihoods were being affected by those AI tools and their work wasn't valued. Amid such a challenging AI league, Procreate's stance feels like a breath of fresh air that preserves the "humanity" of creative work. In less than two days, Procreate's post on X got more than 87,000 (and counting) likes and hundreds of happy comments, showering their support and appreciation. The artist community seems to back this decision with some sweet comments and responses. A developer and illustrator wrote, "Creativity is what makes us unique, and it's how anything new is brought into the world". Another X user wrote, "I am an occasional user of this software, but now I will enjoy using it all the way more.". Some people may consider Procreate's declaration as a business suicide, but for me, it's the key to winning customer trust. Of course, a true artist would stick to an app that values their work and doesn't steal it to train its AI models or keep an eye on their activities. I feel more companies need to learn from Procreate and respect user's digital privacy. There is no need to forcefully push AI into every damn thing. For once, let the creativity shine, without any AI touch. Previously, we saw Adobe updating its terms and conditions quietly to ask users to grant full access to artwork. This was done to train its services and software to improve them. After user backlash, Adobe backtraced. The lack of transparency of how popular AI models train their data is a major factor. What do you feel about Procreate's stance on AI? Don't forget to share your views in the comments below.

AI finds a new adversary in Procreate CEO as tides shift against Silicon Valley's latest craze

The CEO for iPad design app Procreate is taking out his stylus and going to war with Silicon Valley's latest heavily-invested upon baby. "I really f -- hate generative AI," said executive James Cuda in a viral Twitter post uploaded by his company. In a stripped-down-style video usually reserved for an actor publically atoning for cheating, Cuda tore into his sector's implementation of AI and vowed to never get aboard the train. Noting he doesn't often get in front of the camera, Cuda explained after getting peppered with questions about AI, he wanted to set the record straight. "I don't like what's happening in the industry and I don't like what it's doing to artists," he said. The post, captioned "we're never going there. Creativity is made, not generated," linked to Procreate's larger statement regarding its stance on not using generative AI. His comments come amidst a larger shifting of tides on AI. Layoffs in the name of said invention further stoked anxiety about the product stirring obsoletism. As tech's darling grows up, many start to fear AI's terrible twos as a long-lasting sign of a product they don't want to buy into. Trust in AI companies has decreased from 61% to 53% over the past five years, per Edeleman data shared with Axios. Being closer to Silicon Valley has left a sharper sting, as trust steeply declined from 50% to 35% in the U.S. alone. Even if the public is starting to scramble for a pumping of the brakes, tech and finance aren't over their dream just yet. Just last month, investors poured a whopping $27.1 billion into AI, keeping the engines running even if the hype is dying. Creatives have found themselves positioned at the forefront of opposition. Unionized writers and actors went on strike last summer in part to push back against the impact of generative AI on their jobs, and 200 famed musicians petitioned against the ethical ramifications of unmitigated AI implementation. Art that centers the artist and their integrity is part of Procreates' manifesto against AI. "We are not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products, our products are always designed and developed with the idea that a human will be creating something," said Cuda. The need to preserve human creativity, job stability, and fair pay all come up as arguments for putting guardrails on AI. Not to mention, people have simply soured on AI after seeing it flop like an off-putting raisin in the sun. Even after much fanfare and money was funneled into generative AI, the product is still shown to fail to answer certain questions and hallucinate. Perhaps seeing enough memes of Elon Musk and Donald Trump dancing together has put the final nail in the coffin, as AI is deemed what the internet hates the most -- cringe. Either way, Procreate seems to be betting on its anti-AI horse. "We don't know exactly where this story's gonna go or how it ends but we believe that we're on the right path supporting human creativity," said Cuda.