Naver Webtoon New Release, AI Drawing Suspicion
"Stolen Artwork" Strong Backlash from Readers
"All the panels in today's newly released Naver Webtoon are AI drawings."
On the 22nd, suspicions spread mainly on Twitter that all the panels of the new Naver Webtoon 'The Returning Knight King with the Gods,' produced by Blueline Studio, were AI drawings. Based on the original novel, the allegation that all the illustrations were created by AI led webtoon fans to question the creativity and artistic value of the work, expressing strong rejection.
The rating for episode 1, which was released for free the day before, was 1.94 out of 10, and the overall rating was only 2.40. This is the lowest score among approximately 600 weekday webtoons currently serialized on Naver Webtoon.
Hardcore webtoon fans argue that generative AI was heavily used, citing reasons such as ▲inaccurate hand shapes, ▲overall blurry images, ▲slightly different art styles in each panel, and ▲insufficient handling of clothing wrinkles and hair tips.
Blueline Studio, which produced the webtoon, explained that they did not use generative AI but only performed post-processing with AI, yet they have not been able to quell the criticism.
The studio stated, "We did not use images generated by AI. While using 3D models and various materials, we applied AI-based correction in the final stage of production to reduce the sense of discomfort felt in the webtoon."
They added, "For efficient work, we technically used AI for finishing touches, but in the creative domain, all work was carried out directly by the studio as described below."
Webtoon Fans: "Using Generative AI is Nothing but 'Original Theft'"
Until now, the webtoon industry has mainly focused on creators' concerns that AI might replace artists. However, this controversy has brought to light the strong rejection of AI by readers as well.
Why do webtoon fans strongly oppose generative AI? Because AI uses many drawings as training data without the copyright holders' consent. It is considered "stolen artwork" that unlawfully uses and patches together original works.
Netizens worry about the industry's future, saying, "Artists will no longer study drawing but only devise tricks to evade copyright." Quoting the term 'ddalkkagi' (mouse click), some expressed strong resentment, saying, "Ddalkkagi is not an artist."
On the other hand, the industry argues, "AI should be seen as one of the tools used by artists, like SketchUp and other digital technologies."
The era when only works drawn entirely by pen were recognized is long gone, and it is pointed out that AI technology being developed worldwide cannot be arbitrarily blocked.
There are also calls for AI-related guidelines.
Currently, creator organizations such as the Korea Cartoonists Association are holding forums on AI and continuing discussions on guidelines. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Copyright Commission have launched the 'AI-Copyright Law System Improvement Working Group' and are preparing guidelines related to AI outputs.
In the National Assembly, a partial amendment bill to the Content Industry Promotion Act has been proposed, which would require content creators to indicate that images, music, and other content were created using AI technology.
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