Procreate Pledges To Avoid Generative AI Features In Its Apps

On Sunday, Procreate, the company behind popular illustration and animation apps for iOS, pledged to not introduce any generative AI features into its software programs, saying that the technology is “built on a foundation of theft.”

The announcement has been widely celebrated within the creative community, and stands in contrast to other makers of creative software which have been rushing to incorporate AI features into their programs.

Procreate published a statement on its site explaining its decision to support creativity that “is made, not generated.” The statement reads:

Generative AI is ripping the humanity out of things. Built on a foundation of theft, the technology is steering us toward a barren future. We think machine learning is a compelling technology with a lot of merit, but the path generative AI is on is wrong for us.

We’re here for the humans. We’re not chasing a technology that is a moral threat to our greatest jewel: human creativity. In this technological rush, this might make us an exception or seem at risk of being left behind. But we see this road less travelled as the more exciting and fruitful one for our community.

In an accompanying video on social media, Procreate CEO James Cuda made the point even more bluntly, telling users: “I really fucking hate generative AI. I don’t like what’s happening in the industry and I don’t like what it’s doing to artists.” Watch his comments below:

We’re never going there. Creativity is made, not generated.
You can read more at https://t.co/9Fgh460KVu ✨ #procreate #noaiart pic.twitter.com/AnLVPgWzl3

— Procreate (@Procreate) August 18, 2024

Last year, Procreate introduced Procreate Dreams, a new animation app that complements its flagship illustration app, Procreate. The company is currently developing a desktop version of its Procreate app.