AI-generated content is coming to Shutterstock, the company has announced.
Building on an existing partnership with OpenAI – the research lab behind popular text-to-image maker Dall-E – the initiative allows users to generate content based on their defined criteria.
But in order to “teach” the AI, Shutterstock has to give it photos from its existing library, making the Stock photo company to launch a compensation payment plan for content creators.
Property of art
The integration of AI on the platform is part of Shutterstock’s drive to position itself at the forefront of emerging creative tools – taking advantage of the technology ahead of others. Adobe Stock Alternatives can.
“We are delighted that Shutterstock can offer DALL-E images to its customers as one of the first implementations through our API. We look forward to future collaborations as artificial intelligence becomes an integral part of artists’ creative workflows,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
Recent controversies surrounding ownership of AI-generated art — current thinking treats AI as a canvas, not a maker — has led the company to emphasize its desire for “responsible” and “ethical” use of artificial intelligence.
As part of that drive, the stock video provider has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the intellectual property rights of the platform’s artists, photographers and creators. With the upcoming rollout of Dall-E, it is also introducing its Contributor Fund – a compensation framework for creators whose work helps develop AI models on the site.
Shutterstock, which has previously provided licensed data to OpenAI to help train Dall-E, hopes the fund will set a new industry standard while unlocking new revenue streams. There’s no word yet on exactly how many artists can expect to receive.
“The media for expressing creativity is constantly evolving and expanding. We recognize that it is our great responsibility to embrace this evolution and ensure that the generative technology that drives innovation is based on ethical practices. And we are committed to developing best practices and experiences to achieve our goal of empowering the world to create with confidence,” said Paul Hennessy, Chief Executive Officer at Shutterstock.