The Truth About Artstation: Why You Should Proceed with Caution on This Platform

Draw Jam
31 Jan 202304:49

TLDRThe video discusses the recent update in Art Station's terms of service, which now protect against AI scraping, reselling, and redistribution of content. It highlights the distrust in platforms that profit from artists' work and emphasizes the importance of self-reliance and diversifying online presence to safeguard against potential letdowns. The speaker suggests building one's own platform and having a backup, urging artists to look out for one another in the digital space.

Takeaways

  • 🎉 Art Station updated its terms and services to protect users from A.I. scraping.
  • 🚫 The new terms explicitly prohibit scraping, reselling, and redistributing content.
  • 🚫 It also clarifies the ban on using Art Station content with generative A.I. programs.
  • 🤖 Art Station commits not to use or license content for training generative A.I. programs.
  • 👀 The update came after legal actions against A.I. companies were announced.
  • 🏢 There's a general distrust towards platforms that profit from artists' labor.
  • 💸 Capitalist society pressures platforms to serve investors, potentially compromising user services.
  • 🛡️ To avoid being negatively impacted by platform changes, consider building your own.
  • 🎨 For working artists, options are limited to working for big studios or selling work independently.
  • 👁️‍🗨️ Building an audience means posting work online to reach a wider audience, which can detract from creative work.
  • 🔒 To protect work from scrapers, consider putting it behind a paywall or on a personal, controlled platform.

Q & A

  • What is the primary purpose of the message at the beginning of the transcript?

    -The initial message serves as a birthday greeting, with an instruction to save the message and revisit it on the listener's actual birthday.

  • What significant update has Art Station implemented regarding its terms and services?

    -Art Station has updated its terms of service to protect its users from A.I. scraping by explicitly prohibiting scraping, reselling, redistributing content, and the use of A.I. content with generative A.I. programs.

  • How does the speaker feel about the timing of Art Station's update?

    -The speaker acknowledges that Art Station took a long time to make the update but appreciates the change, especially in light of recent legal actions against A.I. companies.

  • What is the speaker's general sentiment towards platforms that profit from users' labor?

    -The speaker expresses distrust towards such platforms, cautioning that despite good intentions, these platforms may eventually make changes that harm users to satisfy their investors.

  • What advice does the speaker give to artists who want to sell their work online?

    -The speaker suggests building an audience to get the work in front of as many people as possible and to post across multiple platforms to avoid relying solely on one, which could be risky.

  • What is the speaker's strategy for artists to protect their work from scrapers?

    -The speaker suggests putting work behind a paywall or building a personal website with more control, like using Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress, to mitigate the risk of theft.

  • What kind of organization does the speaker wish existed to help artists?

    -The speaker wishes for an organization that could protect artists from theft and scrapers, assist in negotiating contracts and page rates, and provide support in legal disputes.

  • Why is it important for artists to have a backup of their work online?

    -Having a backup is crucial so that if social media sites fail or become inaccessible, artists can still showcase their best work and maintain their online presence.

  • What is the speaker's view on the necessity of social media for artists?

    -The speaker believes that while social media is not the primary goal for artists, it is necessary for those who want to build a fan base and reach a wider audience.

  • What is the speaker's final recommendation for artists in the digital space?

    -The speaker recommends that artists should build something they have more control over and look out for each other, as they are all in the same situation in the digital space.

Outlines

00:00

🎉 Birthday Wishes and Art Station Updates

This paragraph begins with a playful birthday wish, acknowledging the viewer's special day or prompting them to save the message for their birthday in the future. It then transitions into discussing the recent updates made by Art Station to protect its users from AI scraping. The script highlights the platform's clarified terms of service, which now explicitly prohibit scraping, reselling, redistributing content, and using AI-generated programs with Art Station's content. The speaker expresses gratitude to Art Station for aligning with their stance, albeit noting the delay in the implementation of these measures. The paragraph also touches on the broader issue of distrust in platforms that capitalize on users' labor, cautioning viewers to be wary of the inevitable changes that may occur to please investors, ultimately advising self-reliance in building one's platform.

Mindmap

Importance of Social Media for Artists
Balancing Art and Self-Promotion
Artistic Expression and Online Presence
ArtStation's Policy Update
Distrust in Online Platforms
Platform Trust and Security
Building Personal Platforms
Diversifying Online Presence
Artistic Autonomy and Control
Main Themes
Generative A.I. and Content Ownership
The Role of Art Directors and Editors
The Dilemma of Monetization
Key Concepts
The Struggle of Modern Artists
Community and Solidarity
The Idea of a Protective Organization
Underlying Messages
Script Analysis
Alert

Keywords

💡Art Station

Art Station is an online platform where artists showcase their work and interact with others in the creative community. In the context of the video, it's significant because it has updated its terms and services to protect its users from A.I. scraping, which is a method of extracting content from websites.

💡A.I. scraping

A.I. scraping refers to the use of artificial intelligence to automatically extract or copy content from websites, often for the purpose of repurposing that content elsewhere. In the video, the speaker appreciates Art Station's efforts to protect its users from this practice.

💡Generative A.I. programs

Generative A.I. programs are artificial intelligence systems designed to create new content, such as images, music, or text, based on patterns they have learned from existing data. In the video, the speaker acknowledges Art Station's commitment to not use or license content for training generative A.I. programs, which is a positive step towards protecting original content.

💡Content ownership

Content ownership refers to the legal rights an individual or entity has over the content they create, including the control over how it is used and distributed. The video emphasizes the importance of content ownership for artists, especially in the digital age where their work can be easily copied and distributed without permission.

💡Capitalist society

A capitalist society is an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, where production and distribution of goods and services are determined by supply and demand in a competitive marketplace. The video touches on how companies in such a society may eventually prioritize investor interests over user services.

💡Social media platforms

Social media platforms are online spaces where users can create and share content or participate in social networking. The video discusses the challenges artists face in using these platforms to build an audience and the time investment required to maintain a presence on multiple platforms.

💡Audience building

Audience building refers to the process of attracting and growing a group of people who are interested in and engaged with one's content, products, or services. In the context of the video, it's crucial for artists who want to sell their work and establish a fan base.

💡Content theft

Content theft is the unauthorized taking and use of someone's original content, such as artwork, without permission. The video highlights the risks of content theft in the digital space and the need for artists to protect their work.

💡Paywall

A paywall is a system that restricts access to content or services unless a user pays a fee or subscription. In the video, the speaker suggests that putting content behind a paywall could be a way to protect it from scrapers, although it's not a foolproof solution.

💡Artistic community

The artistic community encompasses all individuals involved in the creation, distribution, and appreciation of art. The video emphasizes the importance of artists supporting one another in the face of challenges posed by digital platforms and content theft.

💡Online presence

Online presence refers to the presence and visibility of an individual or entity on the internet, often through websites and social media. The video discusses the necessity for artists to maintain an online presence to reach a wider audience and sell their work.

Highlights

Art Station has updated its terms and services to protect users from A.I. scraping.

The new terms explicitly prohibit scraping, reselling, or redistributing content.

Art Station clarifies the ban on using their content with generative A.I. programs.

Art Station commits to not using or licensing their content for training generative A.I. programs.

The speaker acknowledges it took Art Station too long to update their policies but appreciates the change.

The update from Art Station comes after legal actions against A.I. companies.

The speaker expresses a general distrust towards platforms profiting from users' labor.

The speaker discusses the capitalist society's influence on platforms and their need to satisfy investors.

The idea that platforms may eventually change in ways that harm users is presented.

The speaker suggests that the only surefire way to avoid exploitation is to build your own platform.

For working artists, the options are either working for a big studio or selling work independently.

Art directors and editors do not care where work is posted, as long as they can see it.

Building an audience may require posting work on multiple platforms to reach a wider audience.

Posting on social media takes time away from creating new work or learning new techniques.

The speaker advises against putting all your work on one platform to avoid losing everything if the platform fails.

The idea of an organization to protect artists from theft and help with legal issues is proposed.

To build a fan base, artists must post their work online despite the risks.

The speaker recommends building something with more control, like a personal website.

Artists in the digital space must look out for each other as they navigate these challenges.