Digital artist Greg Rutkowski is facing significant challenges due to the use of his name as a prompt in AI tools generating art without his consent. Since September 2022, his name has been utilized over 400,000 times in these AI-generated artworks, surpassing even famous artists like Pablo Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci.
While Greg’s work has been featured in well-known games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, the unexpected AI fame has raised concerns about the impact on his future artistic endeavors. Generative AI platforms like Midjourney, Dall.E, NightCafe, and Stable Diffusion can rapidly produce new art pieces based on user-provided prompts, drawing from billions of existing internet images. However, many artists, including Greg, are expressing dissatisfaction, as these platforms have accessed their works without obtaining proper consent.
The AI-generated results linked to Greg’s name may lead to confusion for those discovering his authentic works online, as they will encounter artworks associated with his name but not actually created by him. This raises apprehension about how his career will be affected and whether the proliferation of AI-generated art will diminish the value of human artists’ contributions.
For Greg and others, the unauthorized use of their art through AI is disheartening, as years of hard work and creativity seem to be taken so effortlessly. The implications of AI’s impact on the art industry remain uncertain, and artists like Greg are left questioning the future of their work amidst these technological advancements.