There was an artist I liked. One day, something that looked just like their work showed up on my timeline. "Did they post something new?" I thought — but it was AI-generated. It wasn't just a little similar. It was uncannily so.
It was a strange feeling.
Fan Works of Things I Loved
I'm an old otaku. I've always had a thing for niche works.
If you've been around long enough, you've probably experienced this. The fan creations for your favorite works slowly drying up.
Even major works lose their fan creators over time. Niche works lose them faster. Search on pixiv and there's nothing new. No more doujinshi.
Not being able to see new art of a character you loved — it's emptier than you'd think. If you've been there, you understand.
A character you love dearly, but no one draws anymore.
Don't you have at least one like that?
Honestly, I Kind of Liked It
So being able to generate art of those characters with AI — I kind of liked it. Honestly.
Same with text generation. Being able to read new stories for works nobody writes about anymore. It felt like a dead fandom briefly coming back to life.
Isn't this actually a good thing? I thought so, for a while.
Both Are True
I hate that a favorite artist's style gets replicated without permission. But I'm glad that vanished things are coming back.
Both feelings exist at the same time.
I still don't know which side is right.