Disney's Loki Season 2 poster has ignited a debate in the design world. Claims of AI involvement in its creation have spurred concerns among professionals.
Illustrator Katria Raden first flagged the Loki poster on social media, pointing out telltale signs of AI involvement in the background image. This includes visual artifacts common in AI-generated content.
Users discovered that the poster's background resembled an identical stock image on Shutterstock titled "Surreal Infinity Time Spiral Space Antique." However, the stock image showed no embedded metadata indicating its origin.
Shutterstock, a major stock image platform, has specific rules governing AI-generated content. Their contributor rules stipulate that AI-generated content can only be licensed if created using Shutterstock's AI-image generator tool.
The creative community raises ethical concerns about AI-generated stock imagery potentially replacing human artists and contributors who earn a living through stock sites. Questions arise about the ethics of replacing artists with AI-generated content.
While Shutterstock does not label the disputed image as AI-generated, it actively promotes it as a "top choice" in high demand.
There are also concerns about other platforms like Adobe and Getty that encourage AI-generated content for commercial use. The effectiveness of these platforms in moderating submissions that breach contributor rules remains unclear.
Disney has not responded to requests for clarification on whether AI was involved in the Loki poster's creation and whether they licensed the Shutterstock image.
Critics argue that Disney may not be aware of the image's origins, but the presence of clear artifacts in the stock image raises questions about Disney's design and editing process.
The controversy surrounding the Loki Season 2 poster emphasizes the challenges and ethical considerations associated with AI involvement in artistic creation. It sheds light on licensing and labeling practices on stock image platforms and calls for greater transparency in AI adoption in the creative industry.
