Adobe Strongly Criticized By Ansel Adams Foundation Due To Images Of AI Immitation

JAKARTA - Adobe got into trouble this weekend after the Ansel Adams Foundation publicly rebuked the company for selling images of AI imitations imitating the late famous photographer's work. On Friday, May 31, Adams' foundation posted a screenshot on Threads showing images produced by AI available on Adobe Stock with the label "Otom Adams style". They complained to Adobe that they were "deeply disturbed by this behavior."

Although Adobe allows images produced by AI to be uploaded and sold on its stock image platform, users are required to have appropriate rights or ownership of the content they upload. The Adobe Stock Contributor Requirements specifically prohibit content which is created using commands containing other artist names, or created using commands aimed at imitating other artists.

Adobe responded to the reprimand saying it had removed the content that violated and had contacted Adams' foundation privately to communicate directly in the future. However, the Adams foundation said it had contacted Adobe directly several times since August 2023.

"If you want to be taken seriously into your commitment to ethical and responsible AI, while showing respect for the creative community, we invite you to be more proactive about complaints like ours, and stop burdening individual artist/artificial artist responsibilities to continuously monitor our copyright on your platform, with your terms," Adams foundation said in Threads. It's time to stop throwing away resources that don't belong to you."

Adobe Stock vice president Matthew Smith previously told The Verge that companies generally moderate all Adobe Stock assets that "original from crowds" before becoming available to customers, using various methods including an experienced moderator team that reviews shipments. In January 2024, Smith said the strongest action the company could take to enforce its platform rules was to block Adobe Stock users who violated it.

"We have no problem with anyone taking inspiration from Ansel photography, but we strongly oppose using his name without permission to sell any products, including digital products, and this includes the output generated by AI regardless of whether his name has been used on the input side, or whether certain models have been trained on his work," Smith said.

Elkadi's Bassil, Adobe's Director of Communication and Public Relations, said that Adobe was "actively in contact with Ansel Adams' foundation on this issue," and that appropriate steps have been taken considering users violated Stock's terms. Adams Foundation has since thanked Adobe for deleting those pictures, and said they expect this to remain so this time.