You may have heard the buzz that former football player and current civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick wants to get into comics. In fact, he spent a lot of time in Artists’ Alley at Comic-Con, looking at artists and allegedly being encouraging. Then a couple of days later, he announced that he was representing Lumi, an AI project meant to “level the playing field” for comics production.
Creators weren’t happy.
Let me pause and acknowledge that I do see uses for A.I., particularly for artists. It can help with tedious tasks that many creatives don’t have the patience or skill to do. When it comes to finance and law, our culture has created separate languages. And I am by no means an expert on A.I., though it has dominated my thoughts a lot this year. My thoughts could be changed.
Lumi’s website offers up the best intentions. And I agree with Kaepernick that it’s imperative to foster “…a vibrant and diverse creative ecosystem.”
The press release rails that “…a few large corporations dominate the narrative landscape, limiting the diversity of stories told.” Though some might debate it, it’s a fair point. As, you might notice, a few corporations dominate a lot of media, though in this case they mean comics and graphic novels.
“Stories don’t exist without creators, and we all suffer when creators can’t bring their stories to life.” That’s a little histrionic, but as a sometime creator myself, this has my sympathies. (But they’re not talking to me – and I’m okay with that.)
But here’s where AI speak really sets in: “Lumi’s mission is to democratize storytelling by providing tools for creators to turn their ideas into finished products, as well as distributing and merchandising those stories – transforming any creator into Disney.”
I get it. It’s market speak. If you know anything about Disney, he was more a man offering creative guidance than creativity himself.
“Creators have had a significant impact on AI, and they should be a primary beneficiary of its use.” Let’s translate THAT – how have creators had a significant impact on AI? By having their copyrighted work scraped and used to train AI without their permission?
By the way, that’s not who the intended audience is for this. It’s for people who haven’t broken through, who weren’t chatted up by Lumi founder and CEO Kaepernick. But I can’t argue with Lumi’s point that creators are exploited and often lack independence. Unfortunately, that’s not just today – it’s the way the industry has run since the beginning.
In the spirit of South Park’s Underpants Gnomes, Lumi addresses that exploitation issue by “…providing an end-to-end solution for storytelling, leading to more financial stability, creative control, and ownership of their work. Additionally, as AI continues to evolve, it is essential to ensure that the resulting content reflects diverse and authentic perspectives. By empowering creators to authentically create their stories, Lumi helps ensure a more equitable future for AI.”
Notice the shift. A more equitable future for AI.
Kaepernick speaks about the gatekeepers in this industry, and I know, I’m not the person to speak about that, though I’ve seen creators I admire like David Walker and John Jennings bust down those gates. One might also ask anyone who worked for Milestone Media how they feel. What I don’t get is how Lumi will do anything to help with that.
Then today I read an article about how record labels are suing music A.I. startups Suno and Udio for copyright infringement, and I saw a similar phrase. The defendants argue that A.I. has “democratized” creativity, and the old ways don’t work in this new world.
“Democratized.”
Having walked through Artists’ Alleys and Small Press Pavilions at a few conventions for 25 years, I can say it’s plenty democratic. Anyone can create a comic, anyone can apply for a table. Maybe not at Comic-Con because they charge a somewhat significant amount for the space, but a local con? Try it. Build a following.
Let’s put any distaste you have for A.I. for a moment (and you may be all in on A.I.). There is not a system in the world that can guarantee you’ll be the next Disney. A.I. can’t force consumers to buy your comics, listen to your A.I. generated music, or read this very website. (To those who are still with me, thank you.)
You may also notice something missing from all the hype: how much Lumi will cost. Not just in environmental damage because everyone involved in A.I. pretends that A.I. will somehow solve THAT problem, too. Lumi will have many employees. Lumi will have to make money. After stealing the underpants as Step One, we know that Step Three is profit. The only Step Two possible is charging all those creators who want to use it. Is it just another boondoggle?
I want a vibrant and diverse creative ecosystem. I want to see viewpoints different from mine. I want to be challenged by comics; I want to discover someone new whose voice is utterly unique and unexpected. I want to discover several such someones. But I can’t see how A.I. is going to get me there.
