Pixiv Without AI Slop But With AI Code: New Japanese Platform Faces Backlash Soon After Release
The creator wasn't ready to defend the site.
TEGAKI
When fighting against AI, it's important to make sure you don't actually use it in the process. Pixiv, like many other online art galleries, allows users to post AI-generated images, and not everyone is happy about it.
Artist Tochi used this opportunity to launch their own service: TEGAKI is a new platform for human-made art where generative AI is completely banned. It also has an approval system that encourages artists to show their in-progress materials to confirm their work is 100% AI-free.
"It may seem like a service similar to Pixiv at first glance, but unlike Pixiv, the key point is that you won't be bothered by the noise of generative AI and can maximise the true value of hand-drawn work," the creator said (machine-translated).
Sounds great, but there is a tiny detail that bothers a lot of people: the platform itself was made using AI.
After X/Twitter users questioned them about this curious fact, Tochi released a statement, admitting to the deed and emphasizing that TEGAKI is not a service intended to "deny AI technology itself."
"It remains unchanged that our purpose is to provide a space for those who wish to create using 'hand-drawn or traditional methods' and those who enjoy such works, and not to serve as a platform for rejecting AI technology."
They actually use AI in coding for development, maintenance, and operational support and have no plans to stop. However, the founder will review their approach and some legal details and return at a later time. For now, TEGAKI is closed for maintenance.
"What I'm aiming for isn't an anti-AI movement, nor is it about collecting training data. I just want to create a place where people who wish to create by hand can do so with peace of mind," Tochi said. "Technology is a tool. I believe it's fine for each person to use it in their own way."
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