Issues with AI-generated content on Adobe Stock

[Steampunk Explorer]

I use Adobe Stock for a website that covers steampunk news. I also run profiles of steampunk artists. Many artists in the steampunk world are up in arms about generative AI. Some have day jobs as designers and illustrators and see this as an existential threat to their livelihoods.

That's not hyperbole. I know a mid-career designer/illustrator who has been asking friends for advice about making a career change. Then, of course, are all the issues surrounding how the AI models were trained (using copyrighted images on the web). As a result, I have publicly stated that I will NOT use AI-generated content on my site unless its for articles ABOUT generative AI.

Here are the problems as this relates to Adobe Stock: First, the Adobe Stock interface offers no way to filter out AI-generated images, which means I'm wasting a lot of time looking at images I won't use due to my policy. Second, not all AI-generated images are clearly labeled as such. Some have tags that say "AI," but otherwise there's no indication in the description. Third, some images look suspiciously like AI-generated images but there's no label or tag at all. This all has me seriously considering dropping the service when it comes up for renewal.

Some proponents of generative AI have defended it with the claim that using prompts to create artwork is itself an artistic skill. But it's ridiculously easy to create steampunk imagery in Midjourney and other programs - all you have to do is take a subject and modify it with "steampunk," as in "Edgar Allan Poe as a steampunk." So we're seeing a glut of these images on social media, and when I search for steampunk or dieselpunk artwork on Adobe Stock, the search results are now flooded with AI-generated images. This has significantly reduced the value of the service in my eyes.

[Abambo · Accepted solution]

Use -ai as a search keyword. If the contributors publish AI and do not abide to the rules, denounce them here. It's the only way to get Adobe stock clean of AI assets, if you do not want them. 

BTW: most of the AI I saw, including those I created myself, were completly unusable and full of errors. I think, it is a lot of work and you need to put a lot of effort in the assets to get them usable. 

[Steampunk Explorer]

Thanks! That seems to filter out the images labeled as AI, but I'm still seeing some that are clearly AI but are not labeled. I attached one that wasn't labeled but it's from an artist named "AiCreatorArt." See attached screenshot.

[Abambo]

@Contributor1 ?

[Contributor1 · Accepted solution]

Hello, I've reported this specific contributor to the content team for review for lacking generative AI labels. I've sent along this forum thread as well to the content team to make sure they understand the full scope of the issue. Thank you for the report and sorry for the problem with the assets.

[Steampunk Explorer]

These two seem to be uploading a lot of unlabelled AI content. Some of the descriptions read like AI prompts. A lot of stuff out of Midjourney has a look you can spot from a mile away.
https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/211273918/hber

https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/211079269/raven

[Contributor1 · Accepted solution]

Hello, I've added these two additional accounts to the report of specific contributors lacking generative AI labels. Thank you for the report and sorry for the problem with the assets.

[Jill_C]

I appreciate your quick response to these types of issues reported here. Can we be reassured that the reports are acted upon by the Moderation team and that the offending assets are removed from the database? 

[Contributor1 · Accepted solution]

Glad to help with these reports. I escalate each unique issue to be triaged by the team that makes the final decision. Each escalation report is taken very seriously, though I can't guarantee the outcome.

[Jill_C]

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that they're taken seriously, particularly since the complaints generally emanate from disgruntled Buyers.

[Steampunk Explorer]

I keep finding more and more images that are almost certainly AI-generated but are not labeled as such. Anyone can see this for themselves. Search for "steampunk -ai." You will see dozens of images that appear to be from Midjourney or similar programs and have no label or tag indicating that they are AI generated. I've spent enough time with Midjourney to know what kinds of images it produces. I have made a pledge to the readers of my website that I will not use AI-generated images. How can I keep this pledge if images are not correctly labeled?

[Jill_C]

Adobe does not seem to have a systematic way of identifying and deleting Generative AI images that are not properly identified. Thus, reporting them here seems to be the only solution at the moment. I hope they fix this flaw in their database soon, because it's being polluted by poor quality, improperly labeled stuff that is a major nuisance to Buyers.

[Averee C]

I'm going to start creating a new thread for every non-tagged asset that I find. I can't believe Adobe hasn't added a "report" function to the assets yet.

[Steampunk Explorer]

One way to mitigate the presence of so many unlabeled AI-generated images would be to include the date that each image was uploaded. That way we can avoid images uploaded within the past six months or so, when people started generating AI images in high volumes.

[Abambo]

You can't filter on the date, unfortunately. The correct solution from Adobe would be to block AI contributors until all their generative AI assets are in conformity.

[Steampunk Explorer]

@Contributor1 Here's another one. I'm now searching for "steampunk -ai -generative" because some pieces say "generative" but not "ai." So I licensed an image of a steampunk robot that looks like it *could* have been made in Midjourney but is not labeled as AI (or generative). Here is the link: https://stock.adobe.com/images/steampunk-robot-with-defocused-lights-in-the-background/571330047

Then I went into Midjourney and used this prompt to generate an image: "steampunk robot with defocused lights in the background, robot on the left, seen from the neck up, --ar 16:9" I did another one with the same prompt but omitting "from the neck up." I've uploaded the results. You should be able to see the similarities.

Here's the problem with the system Adobe has for reporting these. Even when using search terms to omit AI images, I'm seeing dozens of images like this on Adobe Stock. Some are almost certainly AI generated. With others it's harder to tell just from looking at them. But I can say this: I've been using Adobe Stock off an on for many years. My main purpose has been to license images for a steampunk website. Over that time, I've periodically searched for new steampunk images, so I've always had a pretty good idea of what kinds of steampunk-related images are on the site. In the past few months, I've seen a glut of photorealistic steampunk illustrations I've never seen before. And that happens to coincide with the emergence of the generative AI programs.

But now we're supposed to flag individual images or creators where it appears they might be using AI-generated content? That's like asking us to use a flyswatter for a swarm of locusts. There has to be a better way.

For context, here's an article I wrote on generative AI back in January. In it, I suggested the possibility that stock media sites could some day be overwhelmed with AI-generated images. I never expected that it would happen so soon. https://steampunk-explorer.com/news/ai-generated-imagery-poses-challenges-steampunk-creators

[Contributor1]

Hello, related to file 571330047 I've reported this asset and contributor to the content team to review for lacking AI gen labels. I've sent along this forum thread as well to the content team to make sure they understand the full scope of the issue. Thank you for the report and sorry for the problem with the assets.

I agree with you that the current process can be better. We're exploring additional labeling and filtering improvements for Stock buyers.

[Averee C]

Steampunk Seer. 

I have to spend so much more time manually filtering ai-generated content (-ai, -generated, -generative, etc. only go so far because users have no incentive to self-identify AI images). Adobe Stock has become a cesspool of ai-generative content and it's only going to continue getting worse from here unless Adobe puts in proper tools to deal with the situation.

[db777]

Agree 100%. I expect Adobe stock to have true high quality photgraphy and art. Not this massive amount of AI Generative stuff. Some of it I admit is good and I see no issues. Others I see reflections that are off and 3 legged chairs. 

like this one https://stock.adobe.com/images/cozy-modern-living-room-interior-with-yellow-sofa-and-decoration-room... 

[Abambo]

@db777 ,

This generative AI stuff will work only correctly, if contributors get "hurt", when they submit too many bad assets. Assets like the one above should simply not have passed the moderation. The errors are too obvious.

All this is costing money to customers and Adobe. 

@Contributor1 ,

There is a whole collection of yellow furniture with this contributor. Chances are, that there are more bad assets than good assets with this.

[db777]

Yeah its really on Adobe and accepting all of this. The issue is I will probably use other stock sites next time since I know this a problem. 

So I tried the "-AI" term (supposedly eliminates the AI photos) on that user and found a number of images that don't have the Generative AI in the description. Like this one

https://stock.adobe.com/images/cozy-modern-living-room-interior-with-orange-armchair-and-decoration-... 

Its not hard to tell this is AI. The funky round side table where the top doesnt line up with the base and then the 3D vase within the photo. This is a useless photo that no professional one will ever use and a waste of Adobe's server space and bandwidth.

This is really annoying because I comped in a low res photo (not this one) for an ad got client approval and later discovered it had all sorts of issues in the details when we saw it full res and I had to spend a decent amount of time fixing the issues. 

Update: apparently they also have a bunch labeled IA vs AI too

[Contributor1]

Hello, I've reported this specific contributor to the content team for review for lacking correct generative AI labels. I agree, there's some questionable quality assets that you've noted and I've added that in the report. I've sent along this forum thread as well to the content team to make sure they understand the full scope of the issue. Thank you for the report and sorry for the problem with the assets.

[db777]

@Contributor1 Thank you for all the help on this! 

[Abambo]

Update: apparently they also have a bunch labeled IA vs AI too

By @db777

IA sounds French like in "intelligence artificielle", but also Portuguese, Spanish, and probably a handful of other languages. If they enter keywords in their language, that is correct, as the system automatically translates that. But if their keywords are initially in English, it is wrong.

https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/generative-ai-faq.html 

How do I label, title, and tag my generative AI content?

1. Tag your generative AI content to help customers find it:
      • Titles should include the phrase, in English, "Generative AI"
           - Example title: Beautiful landscape. Generative AI.
      • Keywords should include the English phrase "Generative AI" as well as "Generative" and "AI" in the          language you are submitting your assets.
           - Example keywords: Landscape, No People, Generative AI, Generative, AI

1. Tag your generative AI content to help customers find it:
      • Titles should include the phrase, in English, "Generative AI"
           - Example title: Beautiful landscape. Generative AI.
      • Keywords should include the English phrase "Generative AI" as well as "Generative" and "AI" in the          language you are submitting your assets.
           - Example keywords: Landscape, No People, Generative AI, Generative, AI

[twinbrush]

Couldn't agree more. Adobe Stock is filled with AI generated images now. As you rightly point out, not all of them are tagged, so using the filter has only a limited effect. Genuinely don't think Adobe shold be supporting or showing AI generated art in any form at all.