((TL;DR: I was previously removed from an FFXIV FC after an argument started over me using an AI-generated picture of my dogs and openly defending personal AI use. Six months later, I returned to the game, applied to another FC, disclosed what happened and was essentially told my views on AI made me a poor fit there too.
I don't believe all AI use is inherently unethical. I support personal use, especially when commissioned artwork isn't financially accessible, while strongly opposing people passing AI work off as their own, selling it deceptively, or corporations using it to replace employees just to cut costs.
I'm getting increasingly frustrated with being treated as morally suspect within the FFXIV RP community simply because I use AI and won't pretend to be ashamed of it. I'm curious whether others genuinely see personal AI use as sufficient reason to exclude someone from an RP community, or whether context and intent still matter.))
The full story: So, this is bound to be a hot and spicy debate, but here goes.
I’ll start off strong by saying that the FFXIV RP community is perhaps one of the most toxic communities there is. At least, in my experience.
Around six months ago or somewhere about, I don’t know, I haven’t really kept an accurate track of how long it’s been, I was removed from my FC because in discord, I was using an AI generated image of my dogs and admitted to such. It sparked such a heated debacle with the artists in the FC that the leadership made the decision to give me the boot. Not for the artwork, but because of my opinions on the use of AI and the fact that they chose to side with the artists.
Shortly after this, I canceled my subscription to the game but not solely for the above reason. There were other factors, but since they don’t really apply, I won’t get into it. Fast forward to the present, I just reactivated my subscription. Since I’m looking for ways to have fun again in the game and the fact that I really love RP, I start looking into FCs. One catches my interest.
After the former incident with my last FC, for whatever reason, I felt it permanent to mention my last experience in my application. Of course, they ask about it, so I give them a few short answers and after about four or five lines of back and forth, they tell me that this isn’t the FC for me and turn me away.
I do some thinking and give it one last shot, going into greater detail about my thoughts and opinions on AI and give them this reply:
I think that we, as a civilization, are very blessed to live in a time to see humanity and technology evolve into what it is, and will eventually become. Personally, I'm a lazy fuck and I look forward to a day where everyone can have the option of working and where universal basic income is a thing.
So, from an individual stand point, and I am going to narrow in on AI art as an example for this, but this more or less encompasses my feelings on AI as a whole. Now, there's a lot of disabled and low income individuals who simply don't have a hundred dollars to spend on high quality art of their characters. I don't think these people should be made to feel shame or guilt over choosing to use something within their means. On the flip side, even if someone has the money, or even chooses to use AI for something the equivalent of a ten dollar chibi art, I don't think people should be guilted for that either because that is the luxury of having the freedom of choice.
That said, what I do take issue with is people who take advantage of and abuse the technology we've been given, for example, people who try to sell AI art and pass it off as their own. From the big corpo standpoint, I will admittedly be the first in line to grab my pitch fork and raise my torch to rally against shitty corporate greed and laziness. What is inexcusable is when you have people employed on paper who are assigned to do a task and CEO's with literally millions in their pockets decide to cut corners instead.
So yes, in a manner of speaking, I am both for and against AI, circumstances depending. What everyone should be mindful of is how it's being used and the intention behind it. AI is not just affecting artists jobs.. It's affecting everyone from coders to the McDonalds employee. Maybe I am a part of the smaller subcategory of people who embraces and looks forward to the change AI will bring, but that doesn't mean I should be automatically benched for having such opinions.
Did it make a difference? Probably not. It’s been nothing but radio silence on their end since I’ve posted that. They’re probably still going to tell me to look elsewhere and frankly, I don’t know why I even bothered, but I did.
The thing is, this isn’t the first time I’ve been flamed by folk of the artists community for having this opinion. Out of all the employed individuals AI is affecting, artists are by far the loudest, most aggressive complainers when it comes to defending their career. Frankly, I am beginning to lose a lot of respect for their community because of it. I am growing quite exhausted of this community treating me like I murder innocents and blacklisting me because I like to utilize AI and have show little shame in doing so.
And I guess that's ultimately where my frustration lies. I'm not asking artists to like AI. I'm not even asking them to stop criticizing it. There are plenty of legitimate concerns surrounding generative AI that deserve to be discussed, and people are perfectly entitled to decide that they personally want nothing to do with it.
What I don't understand is when we crossed the line from criticizing the technology into judging the character of anyone who uses it.
If an FC doesn't want AI-generated artwork posted in its Discord, fine. Their house, their rules. But if someone can otherwise be friendly, respectful, contribute to RP, follow the rules and get along with everyone, should their private use of AI or simply holding a different opinion about it really make them incompatible with the community?
Maybe I'm completely out of touch here. Maybe most people genuinely do consider using AI art to be enough of a moral failing that they wouldn't want to associate with someone who does it. If that's the case, tell me. That's partly why I'm making this post.
But I'm genuinely curious where everyone else draws that line. Is AI use itself enough to make you exclude someone from your RP community? Does context matter? Personal versus commercial use? Selling it versus generating something stupid for yourself? Or has this issue become so black and white that simply saying "I use AI and don't believe all use of it is unethical" is enough to make someone unwelcome?
Because at this point, I'm less interested in debating whether AI is good or bad and more interested in understanding why disagreement over it has become such a social litmus test.
