Hello Lovely and AI policy

In the June issue of Gorgeous I shared how I played around with Generative Fill and Photoshop. I managed to convince a few people I was in Cornwall. It does result in a query over authenticity and use of AI. Not everyone was fooled and that was down to the quality. The lighting wasn’t right and the background too grainy compared to my iPhone photo.

I have been using AI to keep on top of the tech. At this time, not for work that I create for my clients. Here’s why:

• Many platforms who deliver AI state that all AI generated images are their copyright and not for commercial use. This means they can’t be used legally in a book or website to the best of my knowledge.

• Midjourney allows premium users to generate content that has copyright clearance for the US copyright rules. It took me several hours to create a passable image by adjusting the prompt. Add on the annual subcription fees, it’s not economically viable at this time.

• It’s a conflict with my ethical policy of paying a fair wage to skilled creators who can create good quality content that’s suitable for the audience.

My experimentation informs me that the quality isn’t good enough for me to recommend to a client without a lot of work which is chargeable. And that work might be best done by an artist.

What can AI be used for?

It’s okay to use it in your brief, if you have played around and have some concepts that’s fine. They can be used to form a brief for me and any image research I carry out or commissioning me or another illustrator. They won’t be used as the final piece. AI can be great for prompts for copy including blog posts but it’s not necessarily the best option for creating the final post since AI can’t create a tone of voice and that’s the same with design and illustration.

In summary

I only provide the very best design and content. That means paying attention to space, construction and fonts, all elements that make up a bespoke delivery. That being said, I’m always reviewing the situation and onboard with learning more about AI so that the offerings I give to you are enabled by the best tech.

I’m also watching out for the legals too. Copyright and ownership around AI generated content is complex.

I’m also keen to hear from other designers to see how they’re handling this in their practice too.

Any queries, please drop me a line.