Database of 16,000 Artists Used to Train Midjourney AI, Including 6-Year-Old Child, Garners Criticism

Midjourney, a company utilizing generative artificial intelligence, faced backlash over the use of a Google Sheet containing the names of over 16,000 artists for training its AI text-to-image generator. The list included well-known artists, commercial illustrators, and even a six-year-old child who had contributed art to the Magic the Gathering trading card game and a fundraiser for Seattle Children’s Hospital.

The controversy was part of a class-action lawsuit against Midjourney, Stability AI, and DeviantArt, which was fueled by concerns over the unauthorized use of artworks to train AI generators. The lawsuit amendment, filed with 455 pages of evidence, followed the dismissal of several claims against Midjourney and DeviantArt by a group of artists.

The article also highlighted the broader repercussions of AI-generated art, as a prize-winning image created using Midjourney’s software was deemed uncopyrightable by the US Copyright Review Board, raising anxiety among artists about the future of their careers.