iPad Illustration App Procreate Condemns Generative AI

iPad illustration app Procreate today announced that it has no plans to bring generative AI to its software, setting itself apart from many competitors who have embraced the technology.

The decision comes at a time when many companies in the digital art space, such as Adobe, are rapidly integrating AI capabilities into their products and services. Procreate’s stance is grounded in a commitment to preserving what it describes as the “humanity” of creative work. The company issued a statement on its website that expressed strong reservations about the impact of generative AI on the creative process:

Generative AI is ripping the humanity out of things. Built on a foundation of theft, the technology is steering us toward a barren future. We think machine learning is a compelling technology with a lot of merit, but the path generative AI is on is wrong for us.

We’re here for the humans. We’re not chasing a technology that is a moral threat to our greatest jewel: human creativity. In this technological rush, this might make us an exception or seem at risk of being left behind. But we see this road less travelled as the more exciting and fruitful one for our community.

James Cuda, the CEO of Procreate, reinforced the position in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressing his dislike of generative AI and explaining that Procreate’s products are designed with the intention that “a human will be creating something.” The announcement appears to have resonated with many digital artists who have expressed concerns about the integration of AI into creative tools.