But what does it matter if:

• The model weights are distributed, for free.

• Run by the user, not profiting the trainer at all.

• Its output is strictly used for noncommercial use; nothing the user ever makes a dime from, nor that competes with the original artist?

Thats the same thing as a fanfic to me. Or open software. Or per your analogy, a personal (noncommercial) painting inspired by another's work.

I'm not simping for big tech or LLMs or anything, I'm just saying if one rips out the commercial aspect completely, that takes a lot of the bad ethics with it.