Unsettling News from Japan
Hello my dear supporters, this is Rebis.
In recent days, there has been a sudden regulation of AI on major platforms in Japan. Major fan support sites such as Fanbox, Fantia, and Ci-en have each banned the posting of AI-generated works. Moreover, DLsite, a leading sales site, has restricted the use of AI only to game works. These measures are temporary, and their future developments are uncertain. Works like Rimu Ushirogi manga, where AI is used but human touch is meticulously added, might be allowed... or they might be banned.
I can understand that it's problematic for people using AI to post a large number of images without restrictions. However, I have distanced myself from such activities, intending to earnestly incorporate my own drawings and 3D modeling as materials, blending them with AI in creating my works... so it's very disappointing.
While these regulations do not directly affect everyone on this site...
Nevertheless, I'm going to suddenly lose more than half of my market. This will greatly affect the overall progress of my projects.
At this point, I'm considering continuing the production of Rimu manga aiming for completion, rather than stopping it. If I can only post this manga on Patreon and Subscribestar, I might start Japanese support on these sites. Or, I might resume Harem Academy earlier than planned and proceed with two mangas simultaneously. (I'm aware of my bad multitasking habit, so I'm not very happy about it...)
One thing that concerns me is that Patreon is currently soliciting opinions about AI.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmr_QYuziiuYLtG3HalqM_fGFbQDFIRtukmx5qirZXVdSWow/viewform
Since there are many people who hold anti-AI views, there is a high possibility that some kind of regulation will be implemented on Patreon. If the regulation is too strict, it may become impossible to continue Rimu manga here as well. Personally, I believe that incorporating AI into art is creative and should be allowed to some extent. If you like Rimu's manga, please consider expressing your opinion against overly strict regulations.
While I regret that this is an inconclusive update, I felt it was necessary to share this issue and convey my intention to continue production towards completion.
As Rebis, I am originally a manga artist, so of course my activities won't simply come to a halt because of this. In order to continue delivering creative work that's free, erotic, and happy, I intend to persist and keep on surviving. I sincerely hope for your continued support!
Comments (27)
i appreciate your use of ai/handrawn hybrids, i think its very tasteful, your near real gyaru drawing is amazing! I think it reminds me of the 2.5D jrpg's to 3D hentai's you'd occasionally see.
That sucks, I hope you get to finish Rimu at least. Your style made me appreciate AI art a lot more.
I'm glad to hear your comments! I want to complete Rimu manga indeed, and hope to show you more art with evolved AI assists!
I personally don't care about your use of AI. The style it creates isn't exactly appealing to me visually, but it is still interesting from a technical perspective. I like seeing your experiments and creativity with the technology. That said, it's unfortunate that the platforms hosting creators can't (or won't) handle the situation in a way that avoids hurting the creators that don't deserve it.
Thank you for your comment, ekwood! As these technologies are still evolving, I'm sure I'll eventually be able to blend my original art with technology to a degree that will impress you. Until then, please watch over me warmly. In recent years, I've been feeling like my creativity is being limited by platforms. Oh, the days of the nostalgic REBIS DUNGEON! I would like to resolve these various regulatory issues eventually.
I'm sorry that this happened, but let's hope that this kind of AI-generated art can be posted on Patreon or other alternative platforms. we'll see...
Thank you! The productivity of AI is staggering, so it might be inevitable that platforms tend to overload as a result of many people getting started with it. However, I'm hoping that somehow good solutions will be created!
Yes, this is somewhat disturbing news, but I think you should not stress yourself so much about this. Personally, I have nothing against AI and will support this technology in every possible way.
Thank you for your kind and generous comment! As you said, I'm somewhat relaxed, continuing to create more of Rimu, and progressing with hand-drawn inking. I'll report back when there's an update on the situation.
Sorry that happened my god emperor of awesomeness friend. *yetihug*
Thank you Kaiyeti, anyway I'll keep creating thicc arts for my fans!
Though i have some AI issues . They are mostly related to schools and education and stealing the art of someone who practices on their brush. Rebis i will stay and support you through and through. Whether or not Rumi is finish i will continue being a fan of your work
Thank you for your wonderful words of support! AI can be of great help to veterans like me, but it's easy to imagine that it's more challenging for the younger ones who are still learning to deal with it. I can't make light comments about those, but I hope a good balance between AI and human life will be established. In any case, I will do my best to respond to the support of kind fans like you!
There are still some court cases in the US where I expect art used to train AI tools to be ruled as transformative and thereby are not protected by copyright law; however, I hear that arguing transformative is much more difficult in Japan and Europe. The reality is that these sites are afraid of copyright laws striking down on them. I still come across people daily who still believe that the AI art tools is theft, even though the training process involves no copying of data or theft what so ever. Even worse, if some of these laws pass, it would mean doing things like painting a personalized copy of another's painting would also become illegal. Some people would rather watch the world burn so long as they profit from it.
Thank you for your comment. Japan has very lenient laws regarding machine learning, so the recent developments in Japan may not be due to copyright issues. Regardless, I find it curious that there are people who are greatly concerned about AI "theft" alone, while people casually commit a lot of copyright infringements, and my work has been continuously stolen by pirating sites for over twenty years...
Dlsite allowing it for Games feels like such a silly move. Most AI generated games there all look the same with notoriously same looking nipples.
Presumably, DLsite is likely concerned about the effort involved in censoring a large number of AI images with a mosaic, rather than the quality (in games, the effort for this task would relatively decrease).
It's interesting to use AI as a tool but when I see your AI works I feel that they are not Rebis and are just trying to copy Rebis. I prefer your traditional style like the harem academy
Of course, I accept such criticism. Ultimately, I'm aiming for a fusion and evolution of my traditional techniques with AI.
I understand the concern about AI from both sides and this is indeed a difficult concern that AI will endure a real growing pain at the start. But over time, people will find the flaws with AI, especially when it's not quiet AI to begin with. If there is any take away in this, whatever good intentions AI can have, there are those to abuse it. I am from the US... I know AI will be abused to a ridiculous extent and we will see the outcome of AI.
I've already seen several instances where some foolish or malicious individuals harass others using AI, and masses of people respond with marches of outrage. Is it a flaw in AI? Or is it a flaw in human cognition? Whatever it is, I desire a quiet and free creative environment. I understand that it cannot be disconnected from the world...
I saw this already on your Twitter/other support sites. I'd assume your use should be fine and if it's unclear you should probably contact their respective creator support to clear this up. You've been a creator on these platforms (and Patreon) since long before AI image gen, so they kinda owe you at least an answer XD You could probably argue that you use the generative models more like a render engine in 3D rendering and not as a solely generative tool. I guess unless a generic "model training does not constitute fair use" law is passed (unlikely IMO, but you never know…), those rules have to be rolled back sooner or later I feel… since as the tools get more sophisticated it will get harder and harder to spot and everyone will obviously also argue that their use is fine ("Oh, I just made the backgrounds with AI" "Oh, I just used AI to generate alt versions", "I just changed the lighting with AI" etc. etc.) Strikes me as a problem that the market would sort out anyway… if many works are too low effort/generic, people won't keep buying them and as a result, you'll see less content being made and if people are willing to pay for it… well, then that's fine too.
Thank you! Unfortunately, most platforms do not hold creators in high regard... I'm used to being ignored and treated mechanically, so reaching out to their support will likely be in vain. But oh, how warm my fans are in contrast! I love you and them. I share your insightful speculation about people gradually getting used to AI use and the market maturing. Time will resolve many things. However, it's not good to silently wait for weeks or months in places like Patreon. That's why I posted this article. And I'm glad to receive responses from you and to be able to communicate!
AI is still just a tool, especially the ones available at its current stage. Banning AI arts in these platforms doesn’t stop the production, it just lessens the availability of people trying to make easy money through such methods. This feels like a lazy approach to dealing with the AI issue rather than doing a more thorough investigation. I hope you can still do your realistic model content because it’s been a real treat seeing the fusion of your artistic abilities molded with AI. I honestly don’t expect anything to get better now that AI is forbidden on some platforms because banning something doesn’t mean it has stopped.
Personally, I believe that these regulations are due to unique circumstances in Japan. That's because each platform has to check whether every AI-generated image is properly censored with a mosaic (What a nightmare! What a pointless law). I believe this is a period of transitional chaos, and ultimately, an era will come where artists can use AI creatively. My art will continue to improve in both traditional and realistic styles. I will somehow survive until then with your support!
sorry to hear that, hopefully things will get better soon
Thank you! As a professional, if I can't publish my work anywhere, it might be possible to consider discontinuing the project. However, as much as possible, I'll persist and continue to look for opportunities to present my work.