AI scrapping on Tumblr

You'll probably see the staff post circulate on Tumblr or see people talk about it but just in case you don't: the Staff account has confirmed that Tumblr will work with AI companies and they will scrap your content unless you opt-out for each blog and sideblog individually. The opt-out option is already accessible now in your settings.

Here is the post if you'd like to read for yourself: https://www.tumblr.com/ungrateful-cyborg/743512793879314432

And here on where to find the opt out button: https://www.tumblr.com/kukurubean/743514817754808320/took-these-screenshots-for-people-like-me-who

I really recommend any artists look into nightshade, even if you opt-out! Glaze "hides" your art, but nightshade actively poisons AI training data that attempts to scrape your work. protects your work and attacks any models not listening to the opt-out request (since... it is just a request).

i wouldn't worry about screenshots, fan gifs, edits, or anything else based on official imagery honestly. let the corporations handle that.

I'm sorry to say that I expect most (if not all) social media sites to start making contracts with AI companies. There's too much easy money within reach, and Tumblr especially isn't making the kind of money that would make those contracts less attractive.

...but Capitalism so it really wouldn't matter HOW much profit any site made...

As frustrating and infuriating as it is, I think the current 'state of the net' isn't going to change for at least a year (if not a bit longer) while artists are forced to (yet again) defend their rights to their work and writers are fighting uphill battles against AI-generated novels trained off professionally edited and published work. (I saw Diane Duane post about this on her Tumblr a few months ago.)

My real hope is that someone screws up and uses AI for professional purposes and does something close enough to a Disney property that the litigious mouse gets involved and DOES SOMETHING that'll get some restrictive legislation on this nonsense.

That would be glorious (if Disney went against them). But I agree with you, I don't expect to have many "safe places" away from AI shit, especially since they were scrapping the Internet long before starting to sign those contracts.

Mostly I'm disappointed in the lack of transparency. It only adds insult to injury.

I don't really expect safe spaces anymore with how easily they scrape data, with and without consent.
In my opinion, outside legislation, the best hope at this point is to take steps to actively poison the pool.
(Like Nightshade for example. Or feeding AI other AI generated works.)

This is why I'm a big supporter of creating your own space (website) for your content. Maybe that's Carrd or Google Sites (not sure what their policy is for selling off to AI) or something like Neocities, which is old indie web. Folks who follow me on Tumblr are probably tired of hearing me bring this up, but controlling your content is only going to become more and more important as this grows.

However, that's exactly what this forum is - you're making your own social space that you have control over, separate of big social media. Here, folks can share art, writing, interactions, and screenshots, the same as a social media site. Is it 100% safe - probably not - as you noted, the net in general is easily scraped and has been for years. But no need to just hand it over to scrapers on a platter, right?

Definitely look into glazing or nightshading and whatever you feel is right to protect your works, but I feel finding and building alternatives to big social media is also key. The net used to function as a social space just fine before social media, but it's going to be up to individuals to make a break away from these companies who now want to own our social interactions and content. 

tl;dr - Good on you folks for building a forum!