Artists Retaliate Against AI Image Generators With 'Data Poisoning' Tactic
In a recent turn of events, artists have taken up arms against the unauthorized use of their work by AI image generators. They are employing a method known as “data poisoning.”
What Happened: The Conversation reported on Sunday that artists are responding to the unauthorized usage of their copyrighted images by AI image generators by employing a technique known as “data poisoning.” The method, facilitated by a tool known as “Nightshade,” subtly alters the pixels of an image such that it remains unchanged to the human eye but causes chaos for computer vision. When these “poisoned” images are scraped by tech firms to train their AI models, the data pool becomes “poisoned,” leading the algorithm to misclassify images.
This causes unpredictable and unintended results from the AI model, leading to disruptions in the generator’s functioning. The more “poisoned” images there are in the training data, the greater the disruption. The tool’s creator hopes that this will force tech companies to respect copyright laws. However, there are concerns about the potential misuse of this tool to purposely disrupt the services of these generators.
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Why It Matters: Recent advancements in AI technology have led to a surge in the development of AI image generators. For instance, Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) launched a standalone AI experience for the web, while Microsoft Corporation’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Bing Image Creator has generated over a billion realistic images.
However, the unauthorized use of copyrighted images has raised legal and ethical questions. Actress Scarlett Johansson sued an AI generator for using her likeness and voice without permission. Now, artists are fighting back with data poisoning. This method could potentially disrupt the functioning of AI image generators and force companies to reconsider their data-sourcing practices.
Image by Alliance Images via Shutterstock
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