AI-Enhanced Second Life Images Need Not Always Be Labeled as "AI", Argues Artist -- Here's Why.

Above: AI-generated image,  and Yo Roo's final result 

With continued controversy over AI programs being used to heavily enhance SL images, artist Yo Roo epicly posted her two cents with illustrated examples of her point:

Because I have always tried to be transparent on my work, I am going to clear up any confusion that might be lingering about my usage of AI. And what I personally consider is worth being labeled/tagged as AI artwork, and why I have an issue with some forms of AI.

This is my opinion, simple as that.

 

I use greenscreen, everyone knows this by now. It's how I love to do photos personally. I respect the hell out of anyone that loves to do it inworld and all the shadows and light boxes, etc etc. I love you guys and your talent! It's not my preference for myself. I adore photoshop and light/color manipulation.

 

I also love a good background, preferably one with Bokeh Lighting, and blurred, so the character is the main focus. I think it adds drama and concentration, not to mention a certain intensity. To get a good background that I want, I use either Adobe Stock Images (I have a subscription) or I make them in Midjourney AI (I also have a subscription).

 

I have to prompt the right thing to get the right background I'm looking for if I choose to do it in the generator. And I do this because I am unwilling to go and pull random pictures off the Internet that don't belong to me. I use these pictures to create backgrounds for the greenscreen SL images I make. The images [here] show some of the AI generated backgrounds and the final products.

But the AI background is only the start to the final product, she continues:

Above: AI-generated image,  and Yo Roo's final result 

 

Seeing the fervent debate over AI-enhanced Second Life images,

It's no easy feat to take one of those backgrounds and match a character to it. Every color, detail, highlight, shadows, reflection, hair, and the sheer perspective of how they fit into the background is my art. I obsess over little, tiny details to make it look real and flawless - and do this in Photoshop.

 

There is absolutely no Krea-type AI generation on top. Instead, there are 40+ layers of curves, exposure, color balance, brushes on top of one another in my Photoshop bar.

I spend hours doing this (and I do love it most of the time), but to lump all AI gen into one group is not right IMO.

 

I think there's a very big difference between someone using a click of a button like Krea AI on their avatar and after product picture, than there is on me using a background I create separately.

So, no. I won't be labeling my picture as AI. But if you want to create a label for 'Photoshopped', you bet your ass, I'll tick that box.

Sounds about right to me -- especially when it's not about AI enhancements of SL content ads -- though I suspect we'll have many more years of this conversation. Then again, there was one a fierce debate about when Photoshopped photos should be labeled as such.

See all Yo images on her Flickr, catch Cajsa's recent profile of her work, and read this related post.

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Comments

[Ava Bloodrose]

When I take my pictures, they are raw from the scene. I don't photoshop or anything like that, because I believe that someone should be able to recreate what I'm showing if they like it. It all depends what your objective is, to create art, or showcase SL as it is. I have no objection to AI backgrounds, but when AI is used to change the actual avatar, you're no longer creating an accurate portrayal. That could be said about photoshopped images, but as I said, it depends on your objective.

[Zidders Roofurry]

I don't see how difficult it is to just ad 'backgrounds enhanced via photoshop and AI'. It's honest and doesn't mislead people who don't want anything to do with anything involving AI (as is their right). Whether it's lumping AI into one group or not is besides the point. it's about transparency...especially if you're taking people's money.