Great points! I’ve love AI as a research engine, especially for tracking down obscure older comic art. I’m not anti-AI at all. I think it’s one of the best tools we’ve gotten in a long time. I also think future generations will have less knee-jerk pushback, and they’ll use it to make genuinely cool stuff, both in art and in tech.

Again, to me, there’s a difference between AI slop and AI as a tool. A lot of people aren’t making that distinction. They’re using “AI slop” as a generic insult because they’re angry at the idea of AI, not because they carefully looked at the result. Maybe.

Another thing that I think may be happening, especially with non-artists who don’t know the tools, is they might be seeing sign of computer involvement and assume it must be AI. I scan my art into Photoshop-type programs to clean up lines, fix circles, fill black spots, add text, and handle textures. That’s normal digital cleanup, but I think some people interpret that as “AI artifacts.” Not to mention, most cartoonist these days create entirely on the computer. I should probably get a tablet to draw my stuff on, so I should make that update too. I have to find a good one that works with linux tho.

At first I told myself I’d ignore the AI comments. But I wasn’t getting neutral questions like, “Is this AI?” I was getting stuff like “I smell slop,” and “Get out of here with your AI slop!”

So I posted my step-by-step process, and some people still refused to believe it. That’s when I realized a lot of them weren’t actually interested in the truth. They were venting. And I think some of your points touched on the reasoning behind that.

What disappointed me most was the toxicity it brings out. I expected Lemmy to be a more nuanced, fun cutting edge indie version of Reddit. I figured the slightly higher barrier to entry would lead to better conversations.

That hasn’t been my experience! lol

People here often seem more angry, more sarcastic, and more eager to dogpile.

And it’s not about people disliking my work. I’m fine with that, and I’m used to it. The frustrating part is the accusations, and then the doubling down even after I show evidence.

So now, if I get an AI comment, I'll just send a link to my process and move on. Trying to persuade people or argue with them didn’t work. That one’s on me, lol