Etsy in particular has been inundated with AI generated clipart over the past 6 months and in terms of quality some of it is good, some of it not so good. Most of it is also not labelled as AI making it hard for discerning buyers to navigate search results when looking for graphics.
I've come across quite a few shoppers who not at all interested in buying AI art of any kind and others who maybe want to just be transparent about it. So how can you tell if something is human made or AI made? What do you look for?
Well, I have a few tips for you to help you out with that! These examples are all products available on Etsy right now.
1. Look at the quantity of clipart pieces being offered.
A lot of highly detailed quality looking graphics at a really low price is usually going to be an indicator that it's AI generated. This may not always be the case so you might look closely at the details but most AI art sellers are packaging a high volume of items together that go beyond what the clipart market has traditionally seen from the human made equivalent.
2. Really bad cutouts or weird backgrounds.
Because AI art generation doesn't yet offer transparent backgrounds, getting a clean clipart cutout from a background can be a lot of work or just really difficult. Human artists don't have the same issue because digital art can be created on a transparent background and scanned art usually has a solid white paper background that is reasonably easy to remove. Even with the use of background removing tools many sellers simply aren't bothering to get a quality look, so it's easy to spot an AI generated image.
3. The curse of the hands.
AI art programs are still really bad at drawing hands and a few other details as well like eyes, feet, paws or delicate and intricate detailing. Zoom in on key parts of the image to see up close what these details look like and you can very often spot mistakes that a human simply wouldn't make.
4. Funky details that haven't been corrected.
Some sellers seem to have a pretty low threshold for details, as shown in the examples here. These letters have a variety of problems, from a poor cutout job (probably badly automated) to weird stray elements, poor spacing and lack of symmetry and bizarre details that are just not human typical choices.
5. Hiding under glossy quality.
The graphics that AI is putting out right now are truly amazing in quality. And if you're ok with the idea of AI generated art these types of images are very captivating. But the tell-tale signs of AI generation are still lurking in the tiny details and it's not too difficult to spot. Humans drawing at this level of detail tend to get the tiniest detail very accurate so all you have to do is look for mistakes to tell if these are legit or AI. In this example you have a selection of beautiful female graphics that look amazing, but in the close-up details you can see where things are just a tiny bit wrong, and that's the additional giveaway.
And there you go! Five quick examples of what to look for when trying to figure out if something was generated by AI.
Want more like this? Let me know in the comments!
Shawnna
Well, it's turning out to be 'one of those weeks'.
Etsy just added several new notches to my long list of things to criticize them for... but I'm taking my angst and turning it into something more productive. In the form of poetry.
Now - I AM NOT a poet and I did not write this. This is just me experimenting with AI and sharing the results, which you are welcome to swipe (though a shout out is still nice).
Let's begin:
In the realm of craft and artistry,
Where treasures unique were said to be,
There lies a place called Etsy's domain,
A marketplace filled with both joy and disdain.
Oh, Etsy, thy promises were grand,
A platform where creatives would expand,
But amidst the glitter and handmade delight,
Lurks a darker side, hidden from sight.
The sellers, hopeful, their dreams they wove,
Listing their goods with heartfelt love,
But alas, the truth began to unfold,
As the wretched reality took hold.
The deceitful images, carefully staged,
Misleading customers, enraged,
For what arrived in their trembling hands,
Were shoddy goods from distant lands.
The crafts, once promised, authentic and true,
Turned out to be nothing but a ruse,
Cheap imitations, lacking in grace,
Leaving buyers with a bitter taste.
Shipping delays, a never-ending plight,
Packages lost, vanishing out of sight,
Customer service, a mere facade,
Leaving grievances unaddressed, oh so odd.
Etsy, once a haven for artisans to thrive,
Now a marketplace where charlatans connive,
Originality lost in a sea of mass-produced wares,
Authenticity drowned in an ocean of snares.
Oh, Etsy, how thou hast fallen from grace,
Leaving buyers disillusioned, without a trace,
Amidst the ruins of trust and dismay,
I bid thee farewell, for now and all days.
Yet still, amidst the turmoil and despair,
Glimmers of hope, artisans who dare,
To restore the essence of craftsmanship's soul,
And make Etsy once again whole.
So let us not condemn, but strive for change,
Demanding integrity in this creative exchange,
For in the depths of Etsy's tarnished name,
Perhaps a renaissance can rise, reclaiming its fame.
I've been playing around with AI generative art for a few months now and so far I have experimented with Stable Diffusion, Dalle-E and Mid-Journey. The conversation about AI has exploded recently and it feels like it's just everywhere. New AI tools are popping up weekly and predictions are being made that AI will eventually run everything we do online.
But where are we really at, as things stand right now? There are legal and ethical considerations looming but regardless of those outcomes or any pending regulation, AI is here to stay, on that pretty much everyone agrees. So I'm not going to get into either of those topics here. Instead, I want to address some of the fears that digital artists are feeling at being 'replaced'.
I'm by no means an expert and still relatively green at making AI art, but I have easily spotted the fact that AI generators simply can't do everything, and a lot of what it does is riddled with mistakes. The kinds of mistakes that a human wouldn't do.
Yes, AI art will get better. It already has. But I don't believe you can replicate the human mind, the human experience, or human emotion. And a lot of that is the whole point behind art in the first place.
I know, just by looking at history, that there will always be value in human made art. That some techniques may become endangered, but that there will always be those who keep certain skills and methods going. That we have this tendency to eventually revert back to 'old' ways be it for nostalgia or fashion.
In the short term, artists of all types will continue to have value and earning potential. Certain job roles may disappear but old skills will likely be needed in new ways. As I said, AI can't yet do everything, and I'm not sure it's possible it ever will. But who knows...
All that being said, as a creative maker myself, I am intrigued by AI and it's possibilities. Can I outsource tasks I don't like doing to a computer? That would be very cool. Can I use AI as an assistant to brainstorm ideas? Yes, yes I can as it turns out. Also very cool since I work alone and sometimes my one brain is just not enough. The possibilities are actually quite exciting.
What I'll be doing this year is to continue experimenting. Using AI where it makes sense to do so right now but learning skills that will likely be needed down the road. I will try to be transparent about how I use this where it makes sense to do so.
For fun, I asked ChatGPT the following and got this response:
What is the value in human made art?
"Human-made art has immense value and significance for both the artists who create it and the viewers who appreciate it. Art is a form of human expression that allows individuals to communicate their emotions, experiences, ideas, and perspectives in a way that transcends language and cultural barriers.
Art can serve various purposes, such as providing aesthetic pleasure, challenging societal norms and beliefs, documenting historical events, expressing political and social commentary, and promoting cultural identity and diversity.
Moreover, art has been shown to have therapeutic benefits, both for the artist and the viewer. It can help individuals to process and cope with difficult emotions, reduce stress, and enhance well-being and self-awareness.
Finally, art also holds significant economic value. The art market is a multi-billion dollar industry that provides jobs and livelihoods for many people worldwide.
In summary, human-made art has tremendous value in terms of cultural, emotional, and economic significance. It serves as a powerful medium of communication, expression, and interpretation of the human experience."
Well then. How's that for an answer?!
Even though I will definitely be adding AI generated art into my Etsy shop and utilizing it within my own creations there are many things I will still be making on my own - mostly because I have to, AI simply can't do it for me yet. But one day and many improvements later, if I get exceptionally lazy, who knows.
I can say with some assurance though that human made art will always adorn the walls of my home - because the human experience cannot be replaced.
What are your thoughts on AI? Have you tried it, and if so, what have you learned from it? I'd love to hear from you.
Shawnna
