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News – A Database Of Artists Artistic Styles Was Used To Train AI
This image was created by prompting Midjourney to generate a scene in the style of Salvador Dalí. (by Hochschulforum Digitalisierung via Flickr)
News – A Database Of Artists Artistic Styles Was Used To Train AI.
ABOUT THE DATABASE OF ARTISTS USED TO TRAIN AI
A database of artistic styles allegedly used to train Midjourney’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) program is garnering criticism on social media after it began circulating online at the end of last year. The “Midjourney Style List” spreadsheet contains more than 16,000 artists’ names, including those of prominent living figures such as Banksy, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, KAWS, and even a six-year-old who created a drawing in 2021 for a hospital fundraiser. The list also specified time periods and artistic movements, mediums, genres, and video game softwares.
While the spreadsheet has seemingly been made inaccessible, it is still viewable via the Internet Archive, and a court document filed in late November 2023. Containing a portion of the artists’ names listed in the database, the report is part of an ongoing class action lawsuit against DeviantArt, Midjourney, Stability AI, and Runway AI. Initially filed last January by 10 visual artists, the suit accuses the companies of copyright infringement for allegedly using their work without their permission to train AI. The development of unregulated generative AI has also led to other lawsuits, strikes, and congressional hearings over fears of future job loss and allegations of copyright violations.