The online portfolio platform ArtStation (opens in new tab) will aggregate a large library of images to respond to human prompts with "new" creations in an algorithmic art generation tool (an "AI" platform like DAL-E The company announced that users will have the ability to choose to exclude their own artwork from the The source of these images has been controversial, with artists claiming that their work has been cited and reworked without proper credit or consent.

ArtStation's announcement came after users of the Epic-owned site (opens in new tab) filled its trending page with an anti-AI logo (opens in new tab) designed by illustrator Alexander Nanitchkov This took place after widespread protests by.

ArtStation users can now tag individual artworks with the "NoAI" HTML tag; ArtStation has updated its terms of service to prohibit the use of tagged art by automated platforms, but it is unclear whether the tag will soon It is not clear from this post whether they will begin blocking such programs or whether developers of those platforms will need to comply first.

Similarly, it is unclear how ArtStation will detect unauthorized use of an artist's work if developers find a workaround for the tag, or what enforcement will take place; we have asked ArtStation for comment and will update this post if we hear back.

While this is a victory for artists who see image aggregation tools as problematic, many still have unmet demands. Some protesting users take issue with the fact that algorithmically generated images are displayed alongside handmade art and that differentiation is left to the honors system. Artstation writes in its latest update, "We encourage you to make the process as transparent as possible by including the correct software, subject matter, and medium (in the tags and descriptions of your submissions)."

Nanitchkov, the artist behind the "No AI" logo, is still not satisfied. "Everything produced by the current AI/ML/prompts is soulless theft," the illustrator's latest post to ArtStation (opens in new tab) reads. Sold as a utopia of technological progress, mostly fueled by short-sighted greed, Nanitchkov wants the NoAI tag turned on by default, and is concerned about the vast library of uncredited images already collected by generative tools. library of uncredited images already collected by the generative tools. Meanwhile, other artists question how effective a deterrent the tag will be.