Artists Push Back Against AI Dolls with Handmade Creations
Artists and creatives are fighting back against the recent trend of using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate “starter pack” images of people as toys. They argue that this trend threatens their livelihoods and devalues creativity.
Since early April, thousands have uploaded photos to generate AI doll images, despite warnings about environmental damage, personal information risks, and the devaluation of human creativity. Nick Lavallee, who has been making custom action figures for six years, expressed concern that his work might be at risk as AI images flood social media.
“People are sick of them,” Nick said. “It’s an artistic aesthetic – AI-generated art diminishes that.” Nick creates figures of and for comedians, film directors, and artists like Weezer and Tyler Childers, which sell for up to $250 online.
The #StarterPackNoAI movement on social media has gained traction, with artists sharing their handmade starter packs. Maria Picassó Piquer, an artist from Barcelona, participated “for fun, but also as a statement.” She noted the variety in human-created works compared to the uniformity of AI-generated pieces.
Illustrator Dav le Dessineux said some in his industry have lost contracts to AI design work. He contributed his starter pack featuring just a pencil and white paper, emphasizing that these are “all you need to start being an artist.”
While some artists see potential in AI as a tool, others like Henk van Ess, an AI expert, believe its use in starter packs is wasteful. “It’s like using the Large Hadron Collider to heat up your Pot Noodle,” he said, suggesting that AI should be used for more significant purposes.
Nick remains positive about the future of handmade creations, hoping people will value the difference between his work and computer-generated images. “I really hope people are totally sick of AI action figures,” he said.
The movement highlights concerns about AI’s impact on creativity, intellectual property, and the value of human artistry in the digital age.
