General Discussion

It isn't "purist" to be ethical. And for creatives, it isn't "enticing" to use an AI model trained illegally on the stolen work of other creatives like themselves, and possibly their own work.

It's fraud if someone uses AI to pretend that they did something they didn't do, or that they have knowledge they don't have. I suppose it could simply be called pretense, if you think it's unimportant, but it's still dishonest. It's trickery, which is what fraud is.

And AI tools themselves, trained on stolen intellectual property, are so fundamentally unethical that people concerned about that theft aren't likely to use them voluntarily, though they might be forced to by their job or school.

Even if that employee is unethical enough to consider using AI for that pretense, they're probably aware of how badly flawed the tech is, how often its results have to be corrected, and how likely it is their using AI to pretend they did something will be discovered. Hurting their own reputation. Which they'd bring on themselves by using AI.

Using AI doesn't "help creatives focus on the important stuff" - it's a complete misunderstanding of the important stuff. A rejection of real creativity, real talent. A mockery of it.

Just as kids using AI to cheat in school have turned their education into a joke, even if they think they're being clever.

I've never understood anyone choosing to use AI when they don't have to. I usually try to chalk it up to their not really understanding how unethical and harmful it is. But I have sometimes seen AI users on other platforms post gleefully about wanting to see real artists lose their livelihoods and end up replaced by AI users, so it seems that for some AI users, at least, envy and resentment overwhelm any ethical considerations. And some might be so lazy they don't care about ethics. And some are apparently motivated by greed and hope to use AI to make some money with little or no effort - that's why we see so much atrocious AI slop on YouTube. So that's envy, laziness and greed, and sometimes all three. Not a pretty picture.

Which is why I hope, until it's proven otherwise, that AI users just don't understand how unethical AI is. And I keep trying to explain why it's unethical.