Is AI Cheating?

[Mylotical]

I've been working on a Pokemon Fan Game for the past week or two and I'm brainstorming Fakemon ideas. I have, in my opinion, some fantastic concepts in my mind; vivid images with great details floating in my brain that I just can't translate onto paper/screen because I don't have the best skillset artistically (still learning/challenging myself to do it). I found an AI generator that takes words from what I've created in my mind and does a pretty awesome job providing somewhat of an idea of what I was going for.

for example:


This is a quick concept I sketched up for a Fakemon for my game before I stumbled upon the AI generator.


This is a concept from the AI generator AFTER I sketched the above drawing to showcase what I mean. There are concepts of this design that I'd love to take from the AI product to better enhance my sketch, but is that ethical?

It got me wondering if utilizing the AI to help aid/expedite the process is unethical or if it takes away from the creative minds that are able to fully conceptualize, develop, and produce their visions within their own means/accord. I don't copy ideas from the AI completely, but I do use it to aid in creative designs/posturing that I'm not familiar with when it comes to drawing. While the ideas are all coming from my brain, and even the body style/look is being depicted in a written sense to the generator, it still feels weird getting ideas from an AI generator where historically people would have gotten those ideas from themselves.

What are your thoughts on AI with things like this? Or really.. what are your thoughts of AI in general? Curious to hear what you all think ^^


EDIT: I want to highlight that I do not agree with AI taking PLACE of artists and utilizing AI in place of commissioning an artist. This is just for a simple project that I'm trying to practice my skillsets and hone in on them through.

 

[Zero Seven]

It is entirely reasonable to be conflicted about utilizing AI in that manner. However, it appears that you are not relying on AI to do the majority of the creative labor but utilizing it as a tool to improve your ideas or provide clarity. In that context, it's no more different from utilizing references, templates, or any other assets that artists have drawn on for inspiration or support over time. As long as you believe you're still the one who originates the main ideas and the one who shapes the designs, it seems to leave you in an ethical position. The real worry may be in terms of how it makes you feel artistically. Utilizing AI to strengthen your abilities and develop your knowledge is most likely a useful tool for your process.

You're still discovering and developing, so seeking assistance where you require it is quite okay. Again, it's a matter of balance and seeing it as a resource to utilize, not something that takes the place of your creative effort. Not only that, but the fact that you acknowledge where the AI fits into the workflow indicates you're thinking this through. Thus, overall, I'd say it's a tool you can utilize to flesh out and refine your vision – without feeling like 'it's cheating. ^_^

 

[𒈟Lavemu𒐫]

Using it as inspiration is totally fine in my opinion!

 

[Palamon]

Generative ai is cheating and unethical. Do not use it to make art for you. I'm against the use of generative AI, and I am not okay with it.