AI Imagery and the Overton Window

TL;DR

This paper reviews the rapid advancements in AI text-to-image generation, highlighting ethical, legal, and societal concerns, and discusses how proper regulation can harness its creative potential.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive literature review of current issues, legal challenges, and ethical considerations surrounding AI generative models in visual arts and media.

Findings

AI models are blurring the line between human-made and AI-generated art.

Legal and ethical concerns include identity theft and data laundering.

Proper regulation can enable AI to enhance visual creativity.

Abstract

AI-based text-to-image generation has undergone a significant leap in the production of visually comprehensive and aesthetic imagery over the past year, to the point where differentiating between a man-made piece of art and an AI-generated image is becoming more difficult. Generative Models such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney and others are expected to affect several major industries in technological and ethical aspects. Striking the balance between raising human standard of life and work vs exploiting one group of people to enrich another is a complex and crucial part of the discussion. Due to the rapid growth of this technology, the way in which its models operate, and gray area legalities, visual and artistic domains - including the video game industry, are at risk of being taken over from creators by AI infrastructure owners. This paper is a literature review examining the concerns facing both AI developers and users today, including identity theft, data laundering and more. It discusses legalization challenges and ethical concerns, and concludes with how AI generative models can be tremendously useful in streamlining the process of visual creativity in both static and interactive media given proper regulation. Keywords: AI text-to-image generation, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, AI Ethics, Game Design, Digital Art, Data Laundering