A person can be extremely correct on one subject and incorrect on another. Nuance is funny like that. For instance, Colin Kaepernick had the right to speak out about racial injustice and exercise his right as a citizen to make his feelings on racial injustice known. However, he can also make a bad decision by using AI art for his comics. Once again, nuance is funny in that way. So let’s take a quick look at the situation that put a lot of angry eyes on the former quarterback.
What Is AI “Art”?
If you’ve ever seen a picture, usually an anime-style picture where the fingers look weird or the words on the signs and objects look a bit like wobbly gibberish, well, that was an AI-generated picture. AI, by the way, stands for artificial intelligence. You can find them all over the internet at this point. Artificial intelligence has been around for decades. Starting in the 1960s, this specific field of computer science has sought to maximize the learning capabilities of computers in order to complete specific tasks, such as setting calendars, creating lists, web search optimization, etc. Or in this case, unfortunately, create comics.
Why Is AI Art an Issue?
So what’s the big deal? The issue is that it’s not just people using AI generators for cute little projects. People and companies are bypassing actual artists, writers, and even actors in favor of using AI. This is a huge downside to artificial intelligence. As it has the ability to push actual people out of their fields of work. In the past year there have been three, count em’, three different workers strikes where the main crux was the use of AI to replace real people: the WGA strike, the SAG-AFTRA strike, and now a strike in the gaming industry.
Another issue is that AI art generates compiling the work of actual artists. It’s stealing composites from different artists’ work to create these images. So not only is AI putting real artists out of work, but it’s stealing from these same artists to do so. Not to mention the practice of unauthorized use of certain actors’ likenesses that AI has begun doing, ranging from using voice actors’, well, voices without their permission to creating fake videos using the faces and bodies of public figures. It’s not only predatory but frightening.
Colin Kaepernick and His Use of AI
Recently Colin announced that he raised $4 million to fund a company called Lumi. This company will make it “easier” for people to create the comics that they want to make without the help of a team, using generative AI. Yes, you read that right. Instead of using that $4 million to give comics creators the ability to pay a team, Colin opted to cut artists out of the deal entirely. And if we look at the two sections above this one, it becomes clear why this is such a hot-button issue.
Colin is known for two things: being a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and being an outspoken activist. But it seems as if his activism does not stretch to artists and creatives, leaving many people to express anger and disappointment over this business move. But also they’re questioning how Kaepernick could get this wrong. So very, very wrong.
It’s not too late to rectify the situation. If Kaepernick were to change the overall mission statement of this company, it would go a long way to removing the ill will. First, $4 million is a lot of money — more than most startups receive to cover operation costs and pay employees. So it’s not as if Lumi can’t supply comics creators with money to pay their artists. Second, drop the use of AI. AI is best used as an assistant, not a main creative component. Use AI for things like search engine optimization, not to steal from creatives and take jobs away from artists.
Colin Kaepernick is human and that means he’s subject to human error and making mistakes. Yes, he’s a well-known activist and we expect better from him. This is why so many people are turned off by this business move. He should know better. After this large amount of criticism, hopefully he’s listening and can do better.
Generative AI has been a thorn in the side of many creatives over the last few years and they’re tired of fighting to not only be paid fairly but to be paid for their hard work period. Colin lost his spot in the NFL for speaking up for what’s right. He out of anyone should know the pain of having your job snatched out from under you. Right?
