Concerns over Meta using artists’ work for AI training prompts artists to switch to Cara, a platform prohibiting AI-generated content. The exodus underlines tensions between artists and AI companies, with a focus on intellectual property rights and fears of AI replacing creatives.
Visual artists are leaving Instagram en masse due to concerns that Meta, the app’s parent company, is using their work to train AI models. These artists are migrating to Cara, a portfolio app launched in January 2023, which prohibits AI-generated posts and training. The exodus was fueled by a May statement from a Meta executive indicating that public Instagram posts are part of its AI training data. The situation intensified when Meta notified European users that their posts would be used for AI training starting June 26, without an opt-out option.
The tension between artists and AI companies centers on the fear that AI-generated content, trained on their work, could ultimately replace them. Already facing declining incomes due to AI-related disruptions, artists like Kelly McKernan and Allie Sullberg have joined Cara, alongside numerous others seeing significant growth from about 40,000 to 650,000 users.
Artists including Jingna Zhang, Cara’s founder, have filed lawsuits against AI companies for using copyrighted material without permission, arguing that such use doesn’t constitute “fair use.” Cara’s rapid growth highlights the dissatisfaction with established platforms and concerns about intellectual property rights.
Despite the challenges, Cara offers features tailored to artists, such as a familiar user interface and tools to protect their work from AI scraping. Nonetheless, skepticism remains about the platform’s sustainability and broader reach, with some artists wary of leaving their established followings on larger platforms.
