Artists in China are staging a boycott of the country’s major social media platform due to a controversy surrounding the use of its AI image-generation tool. The dispute began when an artist, known as Snow Fish, alleged that the social media platform Xiaohongshu had trained its AI tool using her artwork without her permission or knowledge, as reported by CNN.
The AI tool, called Trik AI, specializes in creating digital art inspired by traditional Chinese paintings. However, Xiaohongshu has not disclosed the artworks it used to train the AI model.
Snow Fish learned about the situation when a friend shared an artwork that closely resembled her original creation. She posted on Xiaohongshu, asking, “Can you explain to me, Trik AI, why your AI-generated images are so similar to my original works?”
Other artists have joined the campaign in protest of the issue, which could impact their livelihoods. They are boycotting the platform and also calling on the government to implement stricter AI regulations.
Artists like Snow Fish argue that the problem is not the AI itself but the unauthorized use of their artworks to train AI models without proper credit or acknowledgment. Zhang, another Chinese illustrator, criticized Xiaohongshu, stating, “They didn’t put in any effort themselves; they just took parts from other artists’ work and claimed it as their own. Is that appropriate?”
He also expressed concern that AI-generated images would become devalued over time, comparing them to plastic pollution. Zhang emphasized that it is important to protect artists’ rights in the age of AI.
Snow Fish revealed that an individual using the official Trik AI account on Xiaohongshu privately admitted to using her work to train the AI model and issued an apology. However, she believes that a public apology from the company is necessary.
The conflict between tech giants and artists in China mirrors similar disputes occurring in other parts of the world. In the United States, for example, writers and actors have disrupted film and television production in recent months due to various issues, including studios’ use of AI.
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