Artificial intelligence image generators have raised concerns among artists who feel that their work is being used without their permission or compensation. The startup Spawning has developed a tool called Kudurru that helps artists block attempts to train AI on their work by identifying web scraping in real time. Kudurru disrupts scraping by blocking blacklisted IP addresses or sending back different images to sabotage the scraping process. While Kudurru offers a promising solution for artists, it is not a permanent fix and regulatory or legislative action is needed to manage how AI is trained. The development of opt-out features and legal frameworks for artistic consent are steps in the right direction, but a global opt-in training structure is still far from reality.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI image generators use artists’ work without consent | Artists seeking control over their work | Artists have tools to block AI training | Lack of compensation and control over their work |
| Artists struggle to determine how their work is used | Artists seeking ways to have a say | Artists taking legal action and seeking regulation | Desire for control and ownership of their work |
| Spawning launches Kudurru to block AI training | Artists have a tool to disrupt web scraping | Artists can block or sabotage scraping efforts | Empowering artists and protecting their work |
| Kudurru identifies and blocks scraping activity | Disruption in how AI image generators train | AI training is hindered and distorted | Empowering artists and protecting their work |
| Kudurru offers options to block or “poison” scrapers | Artists have options to resist AI training | AI generators interpret prompts differently | Empowering artists and protecting their work |
| Kudurru is a free tool accessible to regular people | Increased accessibility to stop AI scraping | Artists have a free tool to protect their work | Empowering artists and protecting their work |
| Kudurru as a stopgap measure for AI scraping | Need for regulatory or legislative action | Artists waiting for permanent solution | Need for legislative action to protect artists’ work |
| Opt-out features and fragmented opt-in protocols | Desire for opt-in participation in AI training | Artists want control over their work | Desire for control and ownership of their work |
| EU developing legal frameworks for artistic consent | Potential shift towards opt-out or opt-in model | Artists have legal protection and control | Desire for control and ownership of their work |