Creators boycott AI-generated webtoons on Naver

Tech

Published: 10 Jun. 2023, 06:00

Creators boycott AI-generated webtoons on Naver

Naver Webtoon's Challenge Comics section, or a section for amateur cartoonists, are flooded with comics with the title "AI Webtoon Boycott" with an image of an AI ban sign. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Webtoon creators are up in arms over generative AI's march into digital comics, launching a collective boycott on Naver, a Korean portal that owns one of the world's largest webtoon platforms.

Since May 2, a section of Naver Webtoon has been inundated with some 60 comics titled "AI Webtoon Boycott," which are primarily published by amateur webtoon authors.

The idea to fill the section with an anti-AI webtoon logo was inspired from a foreign illustration website displaying an AI opposition logo.

Over 200 cartoonists have expressed their intention to participate in the boycott through social media.

The increasing implementation of generative AI in various industries has sparked backlash in the webtoon industry as well.

Participating artists in the boycott argue that AI-created illustrations are susceptible to plagiarism accusations, as AI searches and synthesizes existing images matching the inputted tags from a vast collection of data. They contend that the images produced by AI already exist on the internet, raising concerns about originality.

The process of how AI learns has become a contentious issue.

Supporters of the boycott argue that AI learns without seeking permission from the original creators, essentially engaging in theft.

The "AI Webtoon Boycott" uploaded in Naver Webtoon's 'Challenge Comics' section on May 2 presents a comparison between the output of generative AI and existing works, claiming that "AI is a thief." [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Webtoon creators have also raised concerns about the potential use of their submitted works as AI training data, triggered by Naver Webtoon's terms and conditions, which state that user-uploaded posts may be utilized for research purposes related to Naver's services. While Naver clarified that these terms and conditions were not specifically intended for AI training, writers remain anxious.

Consequently, Naver announced last month that AI works would be prohibited in their webtoon competition.

The concerns surrounding AI extend beyond the webtoon industry, manifesting in other creative fields.

In response, the Korea Music Copyright Association established an "AI Response Task Force" in March to address the growing intersection between AI and artists, including training AI to sing with specific voices or creating songs composed by AI. On May 2, the Writers Guild of America initiated a strike against movie studios, such as Disney and Netflix, demanding safety measures to prevent AI from writing scripts.

On the other hand, some writers anticipate that AI will enhance productivity and unlock new creative possibilities.

"Just as drawing boxes and speech bubbles became simplified processes in webtoons compared to the paper era, coloring will also become a straightforward task,” Lee Dong-geon, the author of webtoon "Yumi's Cells," was reported as saying.

Haji, the author of "Zeta," told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, that "If a flawless AI assistant is developed to handle coloring and backgrounds, it will save an enormous amount of time and effort."

Cartoonist Lee Hyun-se is currently collaborating with Jaedam Media to train AI with around 4,000 of his works, enabling AI to create cartoons in his artistic style even after his passing.

One prominent issue is the interpretation of whether AI learning constitutes copyright infringement.

“During the AI learning process, which involves replicating existing works from raw data, obtaining consent from original creators should generally be sought,” Jeon Jae-rim, a senior researcher at the Korea Copyright Commission, told the JoongAng Ilbo. He, however, added, “The categorization of AI learning within this framework remains unclear and requires the judicial clarification.”

Efforts are underway at the national level to promote AI's industrial development while also regulating its use.

In 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced plans to revise the Copyright Act, incorporating provisions addressing exemptions related to AI development. Additionally, Rep. Lee Sang-heon of the Democratic Party introduced a partial amendment to the Content Industry Promotion Act on May 22, aiming to establish specific guidelines for AI-generated content.

BY CHOI SEO-IN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]