Treat DAO - February 2023 Valentine's Day Special

EDITORIAL HAPPY NEW YEAR! A STATE OF THE YEARADDRESS FROM TREATDAO

Happy new year 2023 to our Treat community and to our beloved content creators, their avid collectors, and our romantic readers! Welcome to this Valentine’s Day special edition of the first Treat magazine of the new year.

CAN YOU HEAR THE ARTIST’S SING? CREATIVES REVOLT AGAINST AI ART

The barricades are springing up across the internet, emblazoned with the unequivocal message “NO TO AI GENERATED IMAGES." The “les miserables” of the arts space are marching en masse on ArtStation, DeviantArt, and other curation sites, demanding revolution.

SWOON FOR OUR VALENTINE’S DAY CREATORS

What better way to get hearts pounding than a handpicked selection of Valentine’s Day beauties? Feast your eyes on some of our favorite content creators from our amazing community!

ADVERTISE WITH TREAT

The Treat Magazine is available to everyone in our community online. The Treat Magazine is also now available to buy physically from the Treat store. The magazine is also heavily circulated at crypto exhibitions and trade events.

ALL LOVED UP! THE GEN-Z GUIDE TO MODERN LOVE

A quick Valentine’s Day recap on how all this card sharing, chocolate buying, listening to those moribund play-once-a-year 80’s songs, and repeated promises of fealty actually started out, as most holidays do, as a good old Roman orgy.

TREAT LINKS CREDITS | MEET THE TEAM

Treat Gaming is an online sportsbook and casino launched under the Treat brand with Treat DAO as a primary affiliate and promoter. Treat Gaming is based in Costa Rica and offers a wide variety of gaming options that are customized based on the customer's location.

TREAT’S TOP TIPS FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE V-DAY

It’s no coincidence that TreatDAO is deeply pink and covered in hearts! We love Valentine's Day, the holiday where we binge on love and romance for a day and forget that for the rest of the year we are insular and venal.

Happy new year 2023 to our Treat community and to our beloved content creators, their avid collectors, and our romantic readers! Welcome to this Valentine’s Day special edition of the first Treat magazine of the new year.

We have a lot in store for you and the community in 2023, but before we go there, let’s have a look in the rearview mirror at the magazines, TOTMs, and stories that defined our 2022.

It’s been a heck of a ride over the last twelve months! It all started with the wild idea of turning the best content creators from our community's Treat of the Week (TOTW) feature into the Treat of the Month (TOTM) and celebrating them in our own sexy magazine, an original publication intended to become the “Playboy” of NSFW Crypto/NFTs/Web3, and all that jazz.

Here’s a quick retrospective of the published magazines, and for those who may not have read them all yet (now is your chance!), they are all archived and available for you to read for free online here: https://treatdao.org/magazine

‘‘

APRIL ALSO INTRODUCED THE RECURRING “WALL OF FAME”, FEATURING CREATORS' BEST NFTS SHOWN DIRECTLY TO OUR COLLECTORS.

- TREAT TEAM

MAGAZINES

Vol. 1 Jan/Feb 2022 | Ona Artist

Our introductory magazine started with a bang, showcasing our very first TOTM in super sexy pictorials: the stunning Ona Artist! We also got to discuss our year 2021, our most viral NFTs of the previous year, and reveal our top tips for minting and selling your own NFTs on the platform!

Vol. 2 March 2022 | Kristin Elise

Our sophomore TOTM and publication featured the blonde bombshell Kristin Elise. Our editorial highlighted the mainstream impact of NFTs, how to set up your own digital darkroom, and an in-depth look at how career adult content creators are empowered thanks to OnlyFans.

Vol. 3 April 2022 | Maren Altman

The third edition featured an exclusive interview and pictorial with our top-selling content creator of all-time: the lovely Maren Altman. Our editorial explored the deepest, darkest corners of the metaverse. Our main feature focused on the antagonistic bias of big tech against nudity and NSFW creators' ability to generate revenues. We also got political in tackling the impact of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on the lives of OnlyFans creators in both countries. April also introduced the recurring “Wall of Fame," featuring creators' best NFTs shown directly to our collectors.

Vol. 4 May 2022 | Eliza Rose

The fourth edition was totally dominated by the quintessential, hot-as-hell English Rose, Miss Eliza Rose, who sizzles and pops in her pictorials. She was also our first exclusive TOTM video interview. The editorial tackles the serious issue of bad actors in Web3 and NFTs and how to keep safe and avoid getting scammed. It also features an autobiographical story of life as a secret OnlyFans creator, everything you could ever want to know about decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and some super kawaii (cute) cosplayers to check out, follow, and adore!

Vol. 5 June 2022 | Stormy Daniels

There are well-known figures in adult content; there are celebrities; and then move out of the way for the legendary Stormy Daniels! As TOTM, she graced our June cover and gave us a very revealing exclusive video interview too. The editorial discusses how Treat is constantly looking to put down new roots, adding real life (IRL) products and services. June was our most diverse edition ever. There were features on everything from NFT trends to a global guide to becoming a hip digital nomad to a focus (without any fluff!) on hot tips for all things male grooming!

Vol. 6 July 2022 | Cherie Noel

We kept the summer vibes rocking with our sixth TOTM of the year, the vivacious Cherie Noel. The editorial lamented the $Luna coin crash and the resulting crypto market blues. To lighten the mood, we followed the new influencer trend of live streaming shopping. We examined some Web3 trends and asked if blockchain could be the future of video gaming. We ended up in real style in Cannes, rolling out the red carpet for Web3 film and media production.

Vol. 7 August 2022 | Carla Asister

We were back in the Treat private jet, flying to the Philippines (via Bali) to celebrate the beauty of our cover TOTM, Carla Asister. We turned the jet around and headed back to Las Vegas for our editorial on crypto casinos! We were also grateful to the community for helping us put a spotlight on a very challenging and heartfelt cautionary story of the dangers of online bullying, blackmail, and abuse. We finished up with speculation on the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), asking what if Google had created artificial life?

Vol. 8 September 2022 | Brittany Andrews

Our eighth installment spoiled us all with Brittany Andrews, the goddess of adult entertainment, as our cover TOTM. Our editorial explored virtual stripclubs and naked avatars in virtual reality (VR). We then headed back to Vegas to see a digital ABBA rock out and ask if virtual reality (VR) and mixed media concerts will one day bring back Elvis. We recovered our senses to also investigate how AI and robots are (very probably) about to take all our jobs!

Vol. 9 October 2022 | Halloween Special

No tricks, but plenty of treats in our Halloween special edition magazine. We stuffed the publication from cover-to-cover with sexy vampires and horny spirits. Call an exorcist! The editorial focused on the luxury brands betting big on the success of the Metaverse and virtual retailing. We featured some of our favorite OnlyFans cosplayers and took a deep dive into the AI art revolution. We couldn’t resist selecting our top picks for the best horror video games of all time. All are best played alone in the dark!

Vol 10 December 2022 | Christmas Special

That brings us to the end of the 2022 run of magazines, and what better way to see out the year than with a Christmas Special? The cover featured one of our favorite community content creators, the fabulous Liv X Jem. Our editorial was devoted to the fallout from the FTX crash. We published our festive shopping guide to the best crypto-themed gifts and top tips for what to buy for even the gnarliest of grinches in your life. To celebrate the exciting launch of our affiliate site, treatgaming.com, we ran a guide covering everything you’d need to know to get started with online casinos and betting.

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT TREAT IN

Treat is a community led project, and the members continuously direct the council, and the team, to strive toward new endeavors to improve opportunities for our content creators, their fans, and our wider audience of Web3, Crypto, and NFT enthusiasts.

Projects we are actively developing throughout 2023 include:

https://treatdao.org/projects for news and announcements!https://treatdao.org/projects

We are continuously improving and adding new features to the main Treatdao.com web platform, including direct messaging and video streaming, badges, and unlockable achievements, to offer a competitive fansite for the community.

We are building on the potential of our affiliation with Treatgaming.com to offer more interactive casino games and opportunities for utility for the $treat token that can help drive growth and development across the Treat ecosystem.

We are making improvements to the community directed running of the decentralized autonomous organization, with more engagement, marketing, social media, and press releases to cover important changes and news affecting Treatdao.org.

We are building a new dedicated NFT platform, Treatnft.com, to improve the core experience for content creators and collectors and offer exclusive drops and VIP access to future collections and project collaborations.

The Treat ecosystem is only going to get bigger and better in 2023. Be sure to check out

We are planning for new developments in virtual reality and the Treat metaverse space powered by Web3 in cooperation and partnership with our affiliates and friends with existing metaverse applications.

In addition, we’ll be working to improve the Treat magazine by featuring more exclusive content from the community, physical magazine publication, merchandise, regular video interviews, Twitter Space AMAs with content creators, TOTMs, and the team.

And below is a sneak preview of our next Treat magazine:

THE EASTER BUNNY SPECIAL EDITION.

VOL 12: THE EASTER SPECIAL

Join Treat and our sexy content creators as we ‘spring’ into action with our selection of the hottest, furriest, and fluffiest bunny girls to help celebrate Easter in style! Keep an eye on our social media for updates and news on which hot content creators will be showcasing their most ‘eggciting’ works!

Swoon for our Valentine’s Day Creators

What better way to get hearts pounding than a handpicked selection of Valentine’s Day beauties? Feast your eyes on some of our favorite content creators from our amazing

All Loved Up! The Gen-Z guide to Modern Love

A quick Valentine’s Day recap on how all this card sharing, chocolate buying, listening to those moribund play-once-a-year 80’s songs, and repeated promises of fealty actually started out, as most holidays do, as a good old Roman orgy.

Lupercus, the original Gigachad! He has been said to be the inspiration for some very risque Valentine’s Day activities.

The Roman romantics were drunk. They were naked!

- Noel Lenski, professor of religious studies at Yale.

Brace yourselves, sweet seekers of kissy-romance and candy hearts, for Valentine's Day, the commercial holiday of insufferable romantic comedies, has a dark and twisted history that would make even the most wicked of hearts skip several beats.

You see, it all began in ancient Rome, as most things do. From February 13th to 15th of each year, the Romans celebrated a feast to encourage fertility for the people, the fields, and the flocks. The month of February takes its name from the instruments of purification (februa) used in such rites. The best known of these festivals was Lupercalia, a festival in celebration of Lupercus (or Luper, the son of Fauna), a very horny (literally) god of fertility. Now, this wasn't your average run-of-the-mill orgy, oh no. This was a wild and raucous celebration of fertility, where men would sacrifice goats and dogs and then proceed to whip the women with the hides of the poor animals. I know, I know, it's definitely not woke - it sounds like something absurdly lurid straight out of a Monty Python sketch, but it's true. Unfortunately, if that wasn't enough, they had a matchmaking lottery as well, where young men and women would be paired together by drawing their names out of a box. The precursor to the wife-swapping "car keys" game - just imagine the

disappointment when you got paired with the local goat herder instead of that vestal virgin you had your eye on!

Fast forward a few centuries, and along came Pope Gelasius I (a pontiff with a lot of outstanding Pagan issues to deal with), who decided that the festival of Lupercalia needed a bit of a modern conservative makeover. So he went and replaced it with St. Valentine's Day to honor the titular Saint Valentine, one of a brace of Christian martyrs. Now, the tricky thing was that there were a number of Christian martyrs by the name of Valentine (but none named “Biggus Dickus,” sadly), so it's not entirely clear which of the often tortured and executed martyrs the holiday of compassion and love was to be named after. Clearly, the Romans had little time for irony too. Some say the real Valentine was a priest who was executed for secretly marrying couples in the Roman Empire when Emperor Claudius II banned marriages to have more able (but presumably very grumpy) soldiers in his army.

In the Middle Ages, Valentine's Day was celebrated as a fashionable courtly love festival where lovers would exchange romantic messages and gifts. A little known bard named William Shakespeare also did his bit for glamorizing and romanticizing Valentine’s Day. But it wasn't until the 18th and 19th centuries, when the printing press made it possible to mass-produce cards, that Valentine's Day really took off and became the commercialized holiday we know and mostly love today. So, there you have it, the dark and slightly twisted history of Valentine's Day. Who knew that a holiday of love and romance had such a wonderfully sordid past? Indeed, we should thank all those men named Valentine for their ultimate sacrifices, gone but not forgotten by history. It really does remind us that love is unpredictable and can come from the most unexpected and unlikely places. Be good to each other.

Valentine’s Day Gen Z style

Well, our dear (and less expensive) friends, let us tell you, getting ready for a date in the modern age is quite the process, especially if you're a member of Generation Z. You see, these young'uns have grown up in a world of technology and social media, and so their dating game is quite different from previous generations.

So, let's say our Gen Z-er has swiped their way to a match on the dating app, Tinder. The first thing they'll likely do is obsessively check their phone for any last-minute messages from their match. They'll likely spend hours trying to figure out the perfect outfit, because, let's face it, first impressions are everything. And with the help of social media, they might check the Instagram of their match to make sure they're not wearing the same clothes as them on the date.

Once they've picked out the perfect outfit, they'll likely spend an excessive amount of time on their hair and makeup, because again, first impressions are everything. And let's not forget about the all-important bathroom mirror selfie, which they'll likely post to their Instagram story with a clever caption to let their friends know they're off on a date.

With their hair and makeup on point, they'll likely spend the next hour or so trying to come up with witty and clever conversation starters because, to be honest, small talk is the enemy of all social engagements.

Finally, with their outfit, hair, makeup, and conversation starters all sorted, our Gen Z-er will likely hop in an Uber or Lyft and make their way to the date, all the while checking their phone to make sure they're not running late.

In conclusion, it seems getting ready for a date in the modern age is quite the process, especially for our tech-savvy Gen Z-ers. Obsessing over appearance, posting to your Facebook story, and logging in to ChatGPT to try out some great romantic AI one liners may not be for everyone. But, when you boil it down, isn't that what dating has always been all about—looking your best, making a great first impression, and being able to maintain a witty conversation?

Valentine's Day, the holiday of love and romance, has undergone quite the transformation over the years, with each generation approaching it in their own unique way. So, without further ado, let me take you on a journey through the ways that Gen Z is shaking things up.

Online dating platforms:

Now, in the days of yore (known as life before Tinder), one would have to rely on the good old fashioned way of meeting someone, you know, like at a social gathering or through a mutual friend. But not for these tech-savvy Millennials and Gen Z-ers, oh no. They've got online dating platforms like Tinder, Bumble, and OkCupid to help them in their quest for love. And let us tell you, they're not shy about using them; they'll filter through potential matches like sorting machines, basing preferences on their interests, location, and other characteristics to find someone who is compatible. And it's not just heterosexuals that are using these platforms either; many apps have implemented features for the LGBTQ+ community, making it easier for them to find a compatible partner.

Social media:

Ah, social media, the bane of our existence and yet, the Millennials and Gen Z-ers can't seem to get enough of it. They use these platforms to connect with potential partners by following, liking or even DMing (fortune favors the brave) with people they find interesting. They also join groups or communities that align with their interests, such as LGBTQ+ groups or disability groups on Discord or Facebook, to increase the likelihood of finding a compatible partner. And let's not forget about the all-important GM then "slide into the DMs' ' ' move, a classic millennial dating play.

Inclusivity:

Now, previous generations may have had a more narrow-minded approach when it comes to dating and relationships, but not these on-trend go-getters. They are more open-minded and accepting of different lifestyles, and they have grown up in a more inclusive society. They are more likely to date someone from a different race or ethnicity, and they are more accepting of different sexual orientations and gender identities. They also tend to be more understanding and accommodating of those with disabilities, and they are more likely to find partners that cater to their personality and needs.

Casual dating:

In the olden golden days, one would court a person for months, if not years, before taking the next step and getting married. Meet the parents, attend chapel, and buy a turkey. But not for these Millennials and Gen Z-ers, oh no. They've got a more relaxed approach to dating and relationships, and they're not as focused on traditional relationship milestones, such as marriage. They view Valentine's Day as a holiday for celebrating all types of relationships, including platonic ones, and often opt for group gatherings or nights out with friends instead of traditional romantic dinners.

Computer Love? Looking for romance with Web3, AI, and in VR

Instead of going out and meeting people, our society spends an increasing amount of time with online virtual technologies such as Web3, AI chat bots, virtual game worlds, and increasingly with AR, VR, and the metaverse.

First, let's talk about the likely benefits of these technologies. They have the potential to connect us in ways that we never thought possible. Online dating has already made it easier for people to find compatible partners, and dating apps have made it even more accessible. Imagine a future where VR and AR technology allow us to interact with each other in new and more immersive ways, where we can share experiences and build relationships in a virtual world.

But with these benefits also come concerns. There is a fear that these technologies may lead to a decline in the population and birth rate as people may be less likely to go out and form traditional relationships or be interested in starting families. We might be replacing human connection with virtual connection, and the idea that one can find true love and fulfillment through an AI bot or a virtual reality avatar is a dangerous illusion and a convenient substitute for the real thing.

Moreover, with the rise of Web3 and the metaverse, where people can create virtual worlds and interact in them, we may be in danger of getting lost in these virtual worlds. We may get hung up on that goblin slaying under-dressed but very bodacious elf sorceress (IRL Edgar from Seattle) and forget about the importance of friends in real life. We may become isolated and disconnected from each other, and we may lose the sense of community and social interaction that are essential for human life.

We want to remind you that these technologies are not inherently good or bad; it's all about how we use them. We should use these technologies as a tool to enhance our relationships and interactions, not as a replacement for them. If you feel down and in need of a chat, find a friend for a coffee, don’t just lurk on 4Chan forums and let others influence you. We should strive for a balance between the virtual and real worlds.

In conclusion, the future of human dating and relationships is uncertain, but technology is likely to play a significant role in how we connect and interact with each other. It's important to remember that technology is a tool and should not be seen as a replacement for human interactions. We should strive for balance and not let technology take over our lives and relationships.

Treat’s Top Tips for an Unforgettable V-Day

It’s no coincidence that TreatDAO is deeply pink and covered in hearts! We love Valentine's Day, the holiday where we binge on love and romance for a day and forget that for the rest of the year we are insular and venal. It's the time of year when couples everywhere scramble to express their fidelity with the perfect gift, plan the most romantic date, and express their love and affection for one another in baseless platitudes on cards and on cakes. But let's face it, we all do need some love and romance; that’s what makes us human. Being humans, we are all different, so finding the perfect gift and planning the perfect date can be a daunting task. Especially in the era of internet technologies, where the options are endless, have no fear, budding love birds, for Treat is here to guide you through the minefield of Valentine's Day gift-giving and date planning in 2023.

We are putting away our cynical, jaded, and slightly soiled ideas to look with fresh eyes at what makes for the maximum "feels" this year! Are you tired of the same old flowers and chocolates? Bored of the same old dinner and movie? Well, fear not; we have scoured the earth (well, the internet) to find the most unique and unforgettable gifts and date ideas for Valentine's Day 2023.

But that's not all, romantic readers, we have delved deeply into the world of technology to bring you the most cutting-edge and modern gifts for your loved one. We’ve got a little something for everyone on-trend, tuned-in and turned on.

So, whether you're a hopeless romantic or a tech-savvy individual, we guarantee (no refunds) that by following our V-Day guide, you will impress your loved one with the most unique and mind-blowing experiences. So, sit back, relax, and let us take the stress out of Valentine's Day, so you can focus on what really matters - exchanging heartfelt GMs and DMing your IRL crush on Twitter!

If you want to impress your generation Z, or millennials, then forget all the chocolates and the stuffed toys and give something lasting, technological, and useful instead. If they use your gift all the time, you’ll be in their thoughts every day. Trust us, you’ll be inviting us to the wedding party!

Smart home devices: With the rise of smart home technology, a smart speaker or smart home device like Amazon Echo or Google Home can be a great gift for your loved one. It can help them control their home, play music, set reminders, and more, all with the sound of their voice.

Virtual reality headset

With the increasing popularity of VR technology, a VR headset can be a perfect gift for your loved one to experience immersive and interactive virtual worlds, whether they want to play games, watch movies, or travel to different places.

Digital photo frame

For those who love to display photos of their loved ones, a digital photo frame is a great option. It allows you to store, display and share your photographs with your loved one, and with the internet connection, you can update it with new pictures or videos, even when you're away.

Bluetooth earbuds

With the increasing popularity of wireless technology, Bluetooth earbuds are a great gift for those who love music and podcasts. They are convenient, easy to use and allow you to enjoy your music without the hassle of cords.

Fitness tracker

For those who love to stay active and healthy, a fitness tracker is a great gift. It can help them track their activity, sleep, heart rate and more, and it can also connect with their phone to provide notifications, music controls and more.

So, we’re looking for a memorable Generation Z Valentine's Day date to remember? Well, forget the traditional dinner and movie date and get creative! Find something unusual and exciting that’ll help you both connect. It’s even better if the memories come with great Instagram moments and selfie opportunities! Whatever you choose, make sure your date is filled with activities that help you bond, laugh, and create new memories that will last you both a lifetime!

Virtual Reality Escape Room

For a truly unique and exciting first date, take your potential partner to a virtual reality escape room. These experiences offer a chance to work together, solve puzzles, and experience thrilling and immersive environments.

A rooftop restaurant with a city view

For a romantic and modern first date, take your potential partner to a rooftop restaurant with a view of the city. This setting is perfect for a romantic dinner while enjoying the lights of the city.

A hot air balloon ride

For an adventurous and exciting first date, take your potential partner on a hot air balloon ride. Just be sure to ask and be sure your date isn’t acrophobic first! This experience offers a chance to see beautiful landscapes and sights from a unique perspective, and it can be a very romantic and intimate experience.

A floating restaurant

For an unusual and exciting first date, take your potential partner to a floating restaurant. These restaurants are usually built on a boat or barge and offer a unique dining experience with great views of the water, and it can be a memorable experience.

A Digital Art Gallery

For a modern and exciting first date, take your potential partner to a digital art gallery and show them some Skyrim concepts, Bored Apes and Hitsune Miku concerts. These galleries showcase popular digital art, the most on-trend NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and interactive installations, and it can be a great way to experience something new and exciting together.

Making Member Berries!

For a modern and exciting first date, take your potential partner to a digital art gallery and show them some Skyrim concepts, Bored Apes and Hitsune Miku concerts. These galleries showcase popular digital art, the most on-trend NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and interactive installations, and it can be a great way to experience something new and exciting together.

"Casablanca" (1942)

This classic film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman tells a story of love, sacrifice, and the power of destiny. Set against the backdrop of World War II, this film is both a romance and a political thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a timeless masterpiece that will leave you with a feeling of nostalgia and a longing for a love as passionate as that of Rick and Ilsa.

"The Notebook" (2004)

This romantic drama film tells the story of a young couple, Noah and Allie, whose love for each other stands the test of time. The film is based on Nicholas Sparks' novel, and it will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with the characters. It's a perfect film to watch on Valentine's Day, as it will remind you of the power and beauty of true love.

"When Harry Met Sally" (1989)

This romantic comedy film starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan is a classic story of friendship and love. The film follows the lives of Harry and Sally as they navigate the ups and downs of their friendship and the realization that they are perfect for each other. It's a witty, charming, and relatable film that will leave you with a feeling of warmth and happiness. It's a perfect film to watch with a date, as it will remind you of the joy and fun that come with falling in love.

CAN YOU HEAR THE ARTIST’S SING? CREATIVES REVOLT AGAINST AI ART

The barricades are springing up across the internet, emblazoned with the unequivocal message “NO TO AI GENERATED IMAGES." The “les miserables” of the arts space are marching en masse on ArtStation, DeviantArt, and other curation sites, demanding revolution. ArtStation, owned by Epic Games, is a popular platform that curates and displays video game, film, cgi, and Web3 artists' work, allowing them to connect and share their portfolios with the internet. Controversy erupted when ArtStation featured AI art alongside existing artists' works on their main “Explore” feed.

To the salty artists, the platform had crossed a big pixelated red line. The display of generated AI art alongside their own was a threat to their careers and trivialized their skills, which in most instances had taken years of hard work, practice, experience, and thousands of dollars spent on education and degrees to hone. They argue that AI-driven tools are trained on the fruits of their human-made efforts and styles, simply scraping their art, remixing it, and regurgitating it on command by the generative platforms without attribution or due moral hazard as to the artist’s income, creative rights, or feelings.

Tensions between platforms and artists really boiled over when the Lensa app blew up in popularity last year. The app allowed people to combine their selfies with AI-generated art styles to create a new image emulating the brush strokes, toning, and color scheme of any famous artist. It appeared to many artists that the app had copied and then replicated their styles in a very obvious way - to the point where, in some images posted, discernible remnants of a logo or signature were still visible.

Career artists are revolting against the threat posed by AI art all across the internet.

-anonymous artist.

It’s already so hard to carve out your own niche in the arts industry. Lensa just robs you of your potential income, while exploiting your work and stealing your style. The public love the results, and think we are all snowflakes for complaining. It’s heartbreaking, and meanwhile Lensa is making all the bank. My art is used hundreds of times a day, without even asking me once for permission!

In frustration, artists have started protesting and boycotting companies that launch AI image generators, or allow AI art to be featured on their platforms. Adobe has come in for sustained criticism for allowing AI-generated images to be sold as stock images.

Prisma Labs, who created the Lensa app, recently responded on Twitter to the controversy by tweeting: “To sum up, AI produces unique images based on the principles derived from data, but it can't ideate and imagine things on its own. As cinema didn't kill theater and accounting software hasn't eradicated the profession, AI won't replace artists but can become a great assisting tool. We also believe that the growing accessibility of AI-powered tools would only make man-made art in its creative excellence more valued and appreciated, since any industrialization brings more value to handcrafted works.”

While artists are up-in-arms, the legal profession is taking a longer, more cautious approach to the febrile subject of creatives vs. machines.

Senior law lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, Kylie Pappalardo, says, “Sometimes it’s best to wait and see.”

"I know that's not very reassuring to artists right now, but we don't know how disruptive this is yet, and until we know that the law is not going to be very well placed to respond,"

"How do you define creativity in a quantitative way so that you can place some sort of value on it? And then how do you protect that and make sure it's sustainable for human beings while being an exciting landscape where AI can grow as well?"

Many of the same arguments were rehearsed by artists in their attitudes towards non-fungible tokens (NFTs), claiming that NFTs devalued their work and shouldn’t be considered "art," but dismissed as "jpeg" collectibles without any true worth.

The debate has been lively on both sides, with advocates of AI art pointing out how the technology is set to decentralize and democratize art for the masses in much the same way that Web3, crypto, and NFTs do already.

The artists, by contrast, have been dismissive and even fearful of these arguments. They won’t accept any future that diminishes their clout in the arts or challenges their belief that only proven human effort counts as "real" creativity.

At best, they compare AI art generation to a slot machine, where you press a button and a few minutes later the application spits out a prompt guided, but mostly unpredictable, pattern of pixels, totally artificial and therefore worthless in the eyes of human art purists. This type of elitist argument has been around since photographers claimed that digital cameras were technological toys, just a passing fad, and that only images produced by film, processed in a dark room, held any true validity.

Many of these central ideas of artistic privilege stem, with some justification, from the years of very expensive education and subsequent internships and grind required to achieve degrees for entry into an arts career. In arts education, there is a central mythology of human exceptionalism - almost divinity - palpable in art, music, film, and literature. We revere great artists and talk of works of art as revealing deeper meanings to their subjects. A beautiful painting shows us the soul of the subject and the personality of the artist. We look for the ASMR effect in music and find an uplifting effect on our spirits. All of this is valid. It is also an example of a class divide between artists and the rest of us. Those who conspire to set themselves apart to judge what real art is and denigrate everything that doesn’t meet their standards.

Artists have been marginalized and devalued for their career choices in society, and in the workplace, nowhere more so than in the film industry, where they are overworked, underpaid, and barely credited for their efforts. In animation and video games, the situation is very similar, with many artists experiencing early burnout and lasting depression.

So artists do have real concerns worth discussing, but they only harm their own cause by tilting lances and charging in with misplaced and ill-judged rants against the suspected and imagined windmills of Midjourney, Dall E 2, and Stable Diffusion. Imagine how effective the same artists' voices could be if engaged in informed debate with AI developers and platforms, rather than in open hostility and calls for boycotts. If these seasoned veterans stood in common cause with the whole community for the democratization of AI art and proper legal standards for all, and if instead of opprobrium and outrage against AI, Web3, and NFTs, they helped to create new jobs and opportunities in these spaces instead? What if their solidarity with exploited peers extended beyond AI art to change attitudes and perceptions of artists across industries, especially the modern workhouses of visual effects, animation, and video games?

Getty Images claims Stability AI "unlawfully" scraped millions of images from its site. It’s a significant escalation in the developing legal battles between generative AI firms and content creators.

The news comes as a class action lawsuit is launched in California against DeviantArt, Stability.ai, and Midjourney.

It is reported in the media that plaintiffs, including artists Sarah Andersen, Kelly McKernan, Karla Ortiz, and “a class of other artists and stakeholders,” accuse the platforms of “direct copyright infringement” and violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which protects media, including visual art, from online theft. Stable Diffusion, they argue, is trained on “billions of copyrighted images” from a dataset known as LAION-5B, which were “downloaded and used without compensation or consent from the artists.”

More lawsuits can be anticipated as artists’ concerns grow. AI art is still in the early stages, but it is advancing quickly as AI models become increasingly sophisticated. AI art involves using algorithms and machine learning to create artworks that are generated through computer programs. These

programs are designed to imitate the creative work of artists, allowing AI to create works of art with minimal human intervention. AI art is creating a new type of art that is interactive and ever-evolving. It is anticipated that soon the AI art software will be a viable alternative, replacing artists in various careers within the arts industries.

-Craig Peters, CEO of Getty Images.

The driver of that [legal action letter] is Stability AI’s use of intellectual property of others — absent permission or consideration — to build a commercial

o�ering of their own �inancial bene�it.

Theglovesareo�. GettyImagescommences legalproceedingsagainst StabilityAI.

THE TREAT HOT TAKE:

In our previous magazines, we covered in detail both AI art and the threat (and opportunity) of GAI (general artificial intelligence) replacing human careers. The bad news is that it is inevitable. It is how we respond to this challenge that really matters.

The poor quality of debate on both sides over AI art isn’t surprising. History is full of examples of new technologies appearing so rapidly that they disrupt existing systems, workers' rights, and livelihoods. Often, the law is the last to catch up after the dust settles. Almost inevitably, these sudden shifts are accompanied by disdain and derision, followed by fierce opposition and outrage. The lasting economic and social benefits almost always outweigh the temporary disruption. The difference here is that artists are in the best position to consider the state of the art space with nuance and insight. They can flex and support the community, initiate methods to legally push back against the platforms, and take positive action to protect art careers. The trick is doing so without alienating the majority of AI enthusiasts in the process.

The core argument from commercial

artists can be summarized as “The AI model is stealing our work. We want our styles and methods to be copyrighted and licensed." The current law says otherwise, and in general, styles, genres, or modes of art cannot be copyrighted or licensed. Copyright law protects original, completed works of known authorship, or ownership, such as paintings, sculptures, and literary works. It does not protect the ideas, concepts, or styles that led to the creation of these pieces of art. This means that while an individual artist can hold the copyright to a specific painting or sculpture, they cannot hold the copyright to the style or genre in which that work was created.

Unfortunately, technology companies and their advocates have a bad track record of “acting before thinking” and a laissez faire attitude toward people’s data, privacy, and rights. Plagiarism has been a bugbear of the NFT space for years, with multiple collections being carbon copies of others' work and even other NFT collections! It isn’t so much a moral or ethical challenge as one of establishing rights to a proper legal standard for pre-curation, post-curation, and modeling of the data. Where digitized photographs, video, art,

writing, music, and other forms of data are not in the public domain, such as stock libraries and online galleries, it is always advisable for AI developers to obtain permission from the licensors or copyright holders in advance. Better still, when training models, only use images from open source libraries, which are curated for the purpose and made available for free use.

Technology companies and their AI art platforms shouldn’t be allowed to circumvent the ownership and rights to vacuum up copyrighted (and personal) data without obtaining proper permission from the stock owners, or copyright holders, and individuals, as this clearly constitutes illegal copyright infringement. It is also important to avoid legal “gray areas” in the post-curation or commercial monetization of the resulting data. The ownership of art media should be clearly defined in the terms of service and content agreements between parties, with explicit permission to view and modify, and “fair use” and “good practice” laws for AI models standardized.

AI art should be part of the digital arts toolbox, just as Photoshop and Krita are essential to editing and refining a photo or design. Generating concepts and assets that help to inspire and support an artist’s ongoing work and promote personal development is important, and when uploading their work, artists should always be given the explicit final choice to "opt in" or "opt out" of AI models.

In conclusion, AI art isn’t coming. It is here and in use. It’s on trend, exciting, and addictive, and it's creating a whole new generation of art enthusiasts. Workplace AI technology is up and running and dominating some sectors, while lawmakers are slow to show up and even slower to act in the public interest.

Corporate clients from film to architecture to fashion are already embracing AI to increase efficiency and cut outsourcing costs, and the core models are only going to get more effective at servicing their needs. It is as inevitable an evolution as digital photography was to film or Photoshop to the painters' easel and oil paints. It need never replace these traditional mediums, but it should be allowed to work alongside and enhance them for artists.

Once you’ve created your original art piece using traditional mediums or AI tools, be sure to trademark it, copyright it, or license it. Put your signature on your work, or logo, and be sure to read the “terms of service” very carefully before uploading anything to online sites to curate. Vigilance is a price worth paying to maintain your security and control over your digital identity, data, and online rights.

And remember, don’t despise anyone for their love of art. It’s Valentine’s Day; go hug an artist and show them you still care.

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