“The path generative AI is on is wrong for us”

Many Procreate users can breathe a sigh of relief now that the popular iPad illustration app has taken a definitive stance against generative AI. “We’re not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products,” Procreate CEO James Cuda said in a video posted to X. “I don’t like what’s happening to the industry, and I don’t like what it’s doing to artists.”

The creative community’s ire toward generative AI is driven by two main concerns: that AI models have been trained on their content without consent or compensation, and that widespread adoption of the technology will greatly reduce employment opportunities. Those concerns have driven some digital illustrators to seek out alternative solutions to apps that integrate generative AI tools, such as Adobe Photoshop. “Generative AI is ripping the humanity out of things. Built on a foundation of theft, the technology is steering us toward a barren future,” Procreate said on the new AI section of its website. “We think machine learning is a compelling technology with a lot of merit, but the path generative AI is on is wrong for us.”

I love seeing a product where not shoving in “AI” is the feature. Hope to see more.

    • GhostMutt
      8·
      3 months ago

      Dreams is an “all-animation” version of Procreate.

      They built a new engine for it, and it’s very scalable, but unfortunately the new tech means that many of the great features from procreate aren’t there yet. They’ve put out a road map to let people know the features they’re working on, but it will take some time.

      As an animator, even with major features missing, I still use it all the time and don’t regret my purchase. I am excited for it to improve, though.