In an era when it seems like nearly every digital platform is getting a makeover with generative AI, the company behind Procreate has bucked the trend and vowed not to introduce any AI features to the digital illustration app that's hugely popular among iPad users.
“We have no plans to introduce generative AI into our products because we don't like what's happening in the industry and how it's impacting artists,” Procreate CEO James Cuda said in a recent video posted to X.
Procreate's stand has reignited the debate over the use of generative AI in art production, with the art world itself divided on the issue, with some artists embracing AI-powered creative tools while others remain wary of the ethical implications of the emerging technology.
Why did Procreate decide not to embrace AI?
In a short note posted on their official website, Procreate states, “Generative AI is taking the humanity out of things. Built on a foundation of theft, this technology is leading us towards a barren future. We think machine learning is a compelling technology with many benefits, but the path generative AI is taking us down is the wrong one.”
In addition to its “no generative AI” pledge, the drawing and sketching app reiterated that it does not track user activity or retain access to sketches made using Procreate.
“We are here for humanity. We are not pursuing technologies that morally threaten our greatest treasure: human creativity. In this tech rush, we may be seen as an outlier or in danger of being left behind. But we believe that the road less traveled is the more exciting and rewarding one for our community,” they added.
How do artists feel about Procreate's decision?
Procreate's anti-AI stance is widely seen as a bold bet: by taking a contrarian approach, the platform is poised to emerge as a viable alternative for artists skeptical of generative AI.
Welcoming the announcement by the Illustrator platform, one artist wrote to X, “I'm so grateful, thank you so much.” “Please know that I'm here for you whenever and whatever you need!! Artists support each other and those who help us keep doing what we do! I appreciate all your efforts and can't wait to see what the team does next!” said another artist who is suing AI companies such as Midjourney for copyright infringement.
However, several other artists expressed disappointment in Procreate's decision, saying such features could be used to enhance their artwork. “Most of my early work was created with a combination of AI and Procreate, seven years ago, before there was even the ability to convert text to images. I loved Procreate because it used technology to increase accessibility. Like AI, it extends traditional skills to enable more people to create. There are no rules, just tools,” artist Claire Silver told Ars Technica.
Meanwhile, creative software giant Adobe rolled out a generative AI tool called Firefly that is reportedly trained on licensed or public domain content. The Generative Fill feature for Adobe Photoshop users is also AI-powered and can be used to enhance or modify a given image. The company is reportedly further developing its text-to-video AI model.