How we solve AI image generator copyright infringement

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses Tess, an AI image generator that aims to empower artists by allowing them to own and profit from their visual styles being used in AI-generated images. It highlights the issues with current AI image generators that cut out artists, and how Tess addresses these concerns by working directly with artists to license their styles.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Tess: An AI Image Generator that Empowers Artists

1. What are the key features and benefits of Tess?

• Tess is the first properly-licensed AI image generator that clarifies the ownership of AI art through a licensing agreement and a model trained in a single artist's visual style
• The artist owns their style and gets paid each time it is used
• Tess enables artists to leverage the technology themselves and benefit when their style is used, allowing them to "own" their visual style
• Tess is designed to accelerate the design and illustration process, helping the artist to scale their creative capacity
• Tess provides features for brainstorming, transforming sketches into images, and making mockups in the artist's visual style

2. How does Tess address the issues with current AI image generators?

• Current AI image generators cut out the artist entirely, which many small creators and publishers feel uncomfortable with due to the anger and frustration from the art community
• Many companies have prohibited the use of AI image generators due to ongoing legal concerns around copyright infringement
• Tess works directly with artists to obtain permission and license their visual styles, enabling creators and publishers to generate images without fear of copyright infringement

3. How does the Tess licensing model work?

• Tess buys the rights to generated works from the artist through a transparent contributor agreement
• The artist works with Tess voluntarily (and exclusively) and defines what 10-20 works will be used to train the model
• Tess then sells an editorial and commercial license to the generated artwork, with the artist receiving a royalty each time their style is used

4. How does Tess differ from other "ethical" AI image generators?

• Other platforms that claim to be more ethical, like those by Getty Images and Adobe, still have issues with attribution and untraceable inputs
• Tess images are defined and transformed by a single artist's licensed visual style, making the credit and royalty model more clear for both sides
• Tess benefits from a large foundational model but significantly reduces the risk of copyright infringement by having the visual style outweigh the underlying data

[02] The Future of Tess

1. What are Tess's plans for the future?

• Tess plans to expand beyond image generation to other media like voice, music, animations, videos, and graphics
• The Tess licensing model can be applied to these other media types, enabling artists to own and profit from the use of their creative styles across various formats

2. How does Tess aim to impact the relationship between artists and publishers?

• Tess aims to enrich the relationship between artists and publishers, enabling them to collaborate more effectively, rather than blocking the human out
• Publishers can connect with the artists they discover through the Tess marketplace, and artists have more visibility and control over who is using their model and how

3. What is the perspective on Tess from the art community?

• Not everyone agrees that Tess is good for the world, and the article acknowledges that Tess respects the choice of artists who don't want to be on the platform
• However, the article highlights that Tess is designed to increase the value of original ideas rather than dilute them, as the impact of the artist's style grows as Tess grows