When discussing "evil in society," I believe the spread of AI will lead to an increase in fraudulent activities, creating an even more suspicious world dominated by scammers. Recently, I came across a drawing and thought, "Wait, didn’t I draw this?" But to my surprise, it turned out to be created by AI.
When I draw manga, I always include something in the artwork that reflects my personal touch, a unique signature. However, this drawing replicated details like “the way the eyelashes look” so closely that I couldn’t tell the difference. It was indistinguishable.
If it were a recent drawing, I’d immediately know, “No, I didn’t draw that.” But if they used a piece from 10 years ago, where my memory is hazier, I wouldn’t be able to tell at all.
As AI continues to evolve, incidents like this will only increase.
AI-driven copyright infringement is an "evil" that manga creators must confront. In an extreme scenario, AI-generated forgeries could be accepted as the “real thing,” overshadowing the original. While self-protection is important, the level of sophistication and precision in these fakes makes it impossible for individuals to fight back effectively.
I believe legal regulations are the only solution. However, given the world of scammers, there’s a significant risk that laws might end up favoring them without anyone realizing it.
In my case, I’ve entrusted copyright management to Shueisha, but there are manga creators who are lax about managing their copyrights. Some have had their works used without permission, or even had their original artworks leaked.
If creators take this issue lightly, I fear they might face severe consequences in the future.
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This story first went viral overseas, but seeing Hirohiko Araki, a true giant of the manga industry, raise his voice about the problems with generative AI shows how the situation has reached a point where even industry legends can’t ignore it.
This isn’t just about "art tools" or "beginner complaints" anymore.
It’s no surprise that scammers would be the first to exploit generative AI.