However, oversaturated users might be weary of yet another entry into the game. Platforms offering generative AI are about to seem like a dime a dozen, so what exactly makes Shutterstock different from all the rest?
Before we proceed, it might be useful to provide an overview of how creatives are thinking about Generative AI. For one thing, the data that such forms of AI scrape doesn’t come out of the blue. Rather it is the by-product of hard work that was done by very real people, and they often don’t receive any of the fruits of their labor.
Therein lies one of Shutterstock’s main appeals. You see, Shutterstock doesn’t just use art that was made by real individuals and repackage and repurpose it based on user prompts. Instead, it treats this like a collaborative partnership by paying artists for their efforts. Creators will receive ongoing royalties which will be paid out by the Shutterstock Contributor Fund!
One thing to mention here is that Shutterstock will only be using images that have been officially licensed by its platform. That can do a lot to prevent artists getting taken advantage of, and it can also help to declutter the database thereby making it easier to trace the origins of various art and generated depictions back to the people that they took inspiration from.
66% of Shutterstock users are already interested in learning more about generative AI according to a survey conducted by the company. What’s more, 45% of Shutterstock users have already begun using AI to generate various forms of content, and 35% of art contributors also said the same. It’s quite clear that AI usage in such contexts isn’t going away anytime soon.
This has created a huge level of demand, and Shutterstock is looking to fulfill this demand with a product that does not leave artists in the lurch. It is an important step forward, but users won’t be convinced to adopt this generative AI based on ethics alone. While it is essential that artists get paid, around 29% of AI users on Shutterstock are doing so for professional reasons, so they will need more than just fair revenue sharing policies to entice them.
That is where Shutterstock’s ease of use comes in. If you have ever tried to use a generative AI such as DALL-E, you might’ve noticed how difficult it is to come up with the right prompt. Oftentimes users have to think long and hard about prompts otherwise the art that gets generated doesn’t come out right
This couldn’t be further from the experience that users can obtain through Shutterstock. The AI offered by this platform is advanced enough that it can generate appropriate images through one word prompts. The platform also has a variety of aesthetics that can be selected through a proprietary style picker.
Also, the fact that this AI is part of Shutterstock’s Creative Flow suite is useful in and of itself. The AI pairs excellently with the editing tools, providing the results of a professional designer at a fraction of the cost. Again, this won’t end up taking food off the tables of designing experts. Rather, artistic individuals will still earn through the revenue share program, so the superior ease of use does not come at any significant social cost.
Speaking of costs, consumers won’t have to deal with any extra ones while using this generative AI. It’s meant to be a part of the same Creative Flow suite as before, which means that any customers that are already subscribed to the suite will be able to take advantage of it moving forward.
In fact, users can even sign up for a free trial. They will get ten free AI generated images, which can help them to try before they buy. Furthermore, Shutterstock is offering one of the few generative Ais that don’t have a waitlist! Users need only subscribe and start using the AI to generate images at their leisure.
Multi-language functionality is also an important part of Shutterstock’s appeal here. With over 20 languages being supported, Shutterstock is providing one of the first truly global generative AI platforms that we have seen so far. That alone makes it a worthy contender for the top spot, but it also happens to be just one of many features that make this an excellent newcomer to the world of generative AI.
Shutterstock is clearly trying to hit the ground running, and their no holds barred approach will provide some stiff competition to generative AI platforms that are already being used. It was only a matter of time before other companies started to hop on the bandwagon, but in the case of Shutterstock we can at least take solace in the fact that the company is trying to go about it the right way.
With countless ethically sourced visuals at their disposal, users can take advantage of Shutterstock’s new platform in a big way. The platform has also offered a series of tips that can be used to improve the quality of the generated visuals.
Adding more ideas, visual cues and descriptors into your prompt can help you to generate just the kind of image that you had in mind. However, single word prompts are still a viable option.
All in all, it seems like the AI wars have only just begun, and many companies like Shutterstock will be attempting to create their own versions of the tech. It remains to be seen who ends up coming out on top, but with the way things are going with Shutterstock, many will be betting that this is the platform that manages to set the stage for the future direction of the industry.
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World
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