How Singapore artists are protecting their work from generative AI

“Of course, artists draw inspiration from one another, but their influences are transformed through their own experiences, vulnerabilities, preferences and artistic judgement,” he said. “There is a transformative effort put in that makes it more differentiated from just the resource.”

Illustrator Farihath Samsul, who creates custom digital artwork, said she has had people turn her original work into something else using AI.

“It feels as though critical thinking, empathy and values are disregarded when AI is used irresponsibly,” she said. “That’s my precious work that I’ve spent hours on – and AI art just makes that in seconds. How is that impressive? That’s stealing.”

Freelance animator and motion designer Jolene Tan, whose work can be seen on Singapore’s MRT platforms, has also come across AI-generated animation that were almost shot-for-shot copies of other works, with only details such as the characters’ hairstyles or clothing changed.

Beyond concerns about consent and copyright, some artists also question whether generative AI undermines the very purpose of making art.

For muralist and arts advocate Terence Tan, who goes by Ubin Artist, art is fundamentally a form of individual expression, shaped by an artist’s experiences and decisions.

“The whole principle or the purpose of art itself is already for individual expression,” the painter said. “When creative work is generated from existing material, how much of that individuality remains?”