Tech tycoons are doing all they can to pack artificial intelligence into every crevice of their many offerings, which makes Procreate’s anti-AI pledge very surprising. The company made an official post about its rejection of AI tools on X/Twitter stating, “Creativity is made, not generated.” This is a bold stance for the business to adopt when AI is expected to be the future of all technology.
CEO James Cuda explained Procreate’s firm stance on AI, starting with an “I hate generative AI” statement that reaffirmed the customers’ faith in the company. Procreate went on to explain their AI decision via a brief post on their website, but they haven’t fully explored how they plan on maintaining this stance.
Image: Procreate
Presenting the Procreate Anti-AI Pledge—Say No to GenAI
Procreate’s stance on AI is easy to understand. There are three primary aspects to their statement—full rejection of generative AI, private ownership of data, and prioritization of privacy. The company post explains that not only are they staying away from generative AI tools, but they also do not intend to misappropriate user data to train any AI models or build future services.
“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.”
According to Procreate’s anti-AI pledge, the company believes that generative AI is a moral threat to human creativity, and while machine learning has its uses, the company does not intend to chase a form of technology that can cause more harm than good. “Our products are always designed and developed with the idea that a human will be creating something,” Cuda explained in his statement, and the ideology is quite evident in the services provided by the company.
A Round of Applause for Procreate’s AI Resistance—Will It Be Able to Handle the Competition?
Unlike other companies that have quickly given into the temptation of a rolling subscription model to keep capitalizing on their steady user base, the iPad illustration app has never budged on its policy of a one-time purchase plan for its users at the affordable price of $12.99 USD. While the current decision on AI is entirely more complex than a stance on pricing strategy, it is apparent that the company has not had trouble forging its own path forward.
Regardless of how you feel about Apple products, one of the prime reasons creatives turn to an iPad as the primary tool for their trade is the Procreate app. There has always been a lot to love about the platform’s comprehensive set of tools for illustrators, even without considering Procreate’s AI decision. The CEO also confirmed that they are working on a desktop version of their app, which is all the more reason to look forward to what the company has in store for us.
The people criticizing Procreate for their anti-AI stance really show how little they actually know about Procreate, its user base, and artists. They talk about Procreate being g left behind, but it’s never tried to be the at the forefront of creative apps. If it’s users want
— jon_draws_things (@jon_draws) August 19, 2024
Unique announcement for a CEO in 2024…curious how e/acc received this…while I’m sure some will interpret his statement as decel or more broadly anti-AI, I appreciate his focus on pro-artist, because I don’t think he’s being particularly exclusionary here. https://t.co/wb9QlqySE8
— Nate Codes (@Nateemerson) August 19, 2024
There is the obvious fear that the Procreate anti-AI pledge could end very badly for the company once it is overtaken by other apps and platforms that provide a more versatile set of tools and features built on the backs of their user data and AI. Despite the doubt, Procreate appears to have made its decision on AI and is forging forward to keep doing what it already does best.
Image: Procreate
Procreate Rejects AI Tools—Will Other Companies Follow Their Lead?
From the point of view of an average consumer, Procreate’s AI stance is not unique. Many have been vocal about their dislike for AI and their fear for the future when the consequences of these poorly thought-out tools finally come to light. Many everyday users have been pushing back against companies for updating their policies to channel user data into AI training, while others have stood steadfast against data scraping policies that AI companies are using to gather source material en masse.
I’m not anti-AI but it’s good to see a creative company taking a principled approach. Unfortunately Procreate can’t replace Photoshop for me, so I’m stuck with it regardless. 😔 https://t.co/Ed2Kz2gHmP
— Matthew Sharpe 🍪 (@Mythor) August 19, 2024
It’s not just individual customers—certain companies are also taking a firm stand against the rising flood of AI. The New York Times and other publishers and creatives have sued OpenAI for misusing their work and Reddit has blocked crawlers from scouring their platform for more material. In the same breath, Time Magazine, Atlantic, and Vox Media are some examples of media houses that have been able to sign deals with AI makers like OpenAI to exchange data voluntarily so they can receive the perks of the AI tools in return.
From the recent Pixel 9 series of devices to the new features on Snapchat and Instagram, products are being marketed with the sole emphasis on their AI capabilities. AI-based devices like the Friend Pendant, Limitless Pendant, and Humane Pin have already made it to the market. Despite the largely negative reception, these companies have to be credited for trying to innovate and bring something new to the table, but customers are still skeptical about the need for AI.
Considering how generative AI is not going to disappear anytime soon, Procreate’s stance on AI and its anti-AI pledge is a brave choice. We’re interested to see how they manage to maintain their individuality over the next few years.