The AI lab at the University of Chicago is fighting back against AI companies that scrape artists’ work from the internet without permission. Researchers Ben Zhao and Heather Zheng have developed two tools, Glaze and Nightshade, to help protect artists’ creations. Glaze adds a secret cloak to images that prevents AI from copying an artist’s style.
It has been downloaded over 6 million times since launching in March 2023. Nightshade goes a step further by adding an invisible layer of poison to images that can break AI models. It has been downloaded more than 1.6 million times.
Fantasy illustrator Karla Ortiz says the tools allow her to post work online, which is crucial for getting more jobs. “It’s really dire for us,” she adds. Ortiz is part of a class action lawsuit against AI companies over copyright infringement.
Zhao hopes the tools will slowly tilt the balance of power from large corporations back to individual creators.
Protecting artists’ work from AI
“It is just incredibly frustrating to see human life be valued so little,” he says.
“And to see that repeated over and over, this prioritization of profit over humanity.”
The SAND Lab at the University of Chicago has a history of combating harms posed by new tech. They previously developed a device that jams the microphones in AI voice assistants and a tool called Fawkes that protects photos from facial recognition software. A survey of over 1,200 artists found that 97% expect AI to decrease some artists’ job security.
A quarter said AI art had already affected their jobs. Almost all artists post their work online, but more than half anticipate reducing or removing that work due to AI concerns. The first version of Glaze was developed in just a month.
As the tools gain wider adoption, experts largely agree the approach is effective. However, some researchers claim they have already found holes in Glaze’s protections. Copyright lawyer Neil Turkewitz says the fight is about more than a single AI company or individual.
“It’s about defining the rules of the world we want to inhabit,” he states.
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
