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 creator Dall-E - the initiative will let users generate content based on their defined criteria.
But in order to ‘teach’ the AI, Shutterstock will need to feed it photographs from its existing library, prompting the stock photo firm to launch a compensation payment plan for content creators.
Ownership of art
The integration of AI across the platform is part of Shutterstock’s drive to position itself at the forefront of emerging creative tools - and take advantage of the technology before other Adobe Stock alternatives can.
“We are excited for Shutterstock to offer DALL-E images to its customers as one of the first deployments through our API. We look forward to future collaborations as artificial intelligence becomes an integral part of artists’ creative workflows,” said Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO.
However, recent controversies surrounding ownership of AI-generated art - current thinking treats AI as a canvas, not creator - has led to the company emphasizing its desire for “responsible” and “ethical” use of artificial intelligence.
As part of that drive, the stock video provider has reconfirmed its commitment to protecting the intellectual property rights of the platform’s artists, photographers, and creators. With the upcoming roll-out of Dall-E, it’s also introducing its Contributor Fund - a compensation framework for creators whose work helps develop AI models on the site.
Shutterstock, who previously provided licensed data to OpenAI to help train Dall-E, hopes the fund will set a new industry standard, while unlocking fresh streams of revenue. There’s no word yet over how much exactly artists can expect to receive.
“The mediums to express creativity are constantly evolving and expanding. We recognize that it is our great responsibility to embrace this evolution and to ensure that the generative technology that drives innovation is grounded in ethical practices. And we're committed to developing best practices and experiences to deliver on our purpose, which is to empower the world to create with confidence,” said Paul Hennessy, Chief Executive Officer at Shutterstock.
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