Clip Studio Paint to include experimental image generator palette in Winter Update

November 29, 2022

(Updated Dec 02, 2022)

We apologize for the anxiety and concern we have caused regarding the announcement of the Image Generator Palette on November 29.

After the initial announcement, we received a lot of feedback from the community and will no longer implement the image generator palette.

Here are some concerns that we have taken to heart:

  • Current image generation AI exploits other artists' intellectual property and is unusable
  • This feature will hinder rather than help artists in their creative activities
  • Using artist’s work that is not opted-in to a data set is ethically unacceptable
  • The fear that this will make Clip Studio Paint artwork synonymous with AI-generated work
  • There are existing features that need to be prioritized over image generation AI features
  • Having something unknown in the app I use daily potentially infringing on legal or moral rights is unacceptable
  • Clip Studio Paint should be an app that takes responsibility for a safe, creative environment

The Image Generator palette was developed with the hope that we could provide a new way to experience creativity. However, we had neglected to take the necessary considerations.

We were so preoccupied with how generative AI technology could be used creatively that we lost sight of what our core users want from Clip Studio Paint as a creative tool. We would like to sincerely apologize.

Celsys will not be implementing any image generator AI features in Clip Studio Paint that present this kind of concern, and will listen more sincerely to the opinions of creators. We will redouble our efforts to provide features that can be used with peace of mind by all artists.

Today, we announced that Clip Studio Paint’s Ver 1.13.0 update will be released on December 6 and will include the “Image Generator palette”, an experimental generative AI feature based on the Stable Diffusion model. Clip Studio Paint has not provided, and will not provide or use any form of user data to train this model, and the service will be discontinued in 1.0 after the release of Clip Studio Paint Ver. 2.

Clip Studio Paint is no stranger to AI-powered features (e.g. colorization, pose estimation), all of which aim to make creativity accessible. In the same vein, we believe generative AI has the potential to become a powerful assistive tool for all creators.

However, we also are fully aware of the valid concerns that have been raised inside the art community as well. Therefore, we would like to open a dialogue to better evaluate and reach a consensus on how generative AI can coexist with the creative process, and how Celsys should approach this new technology.

We will be providing an anonymous survey for you to leave your thoughts once the experimental feature is released.

The survey results will be summarized at a later date, and the prompts and generated results of the feature will be archived and published on a dedicated webpage. We will also refer to the survey results in internal discussions regarding the usage and development of AI models and additional features.

Alongside this, we will research authentication features for artists to prove ownership of their artwork and work with art hosting sites to discern AI images.

Experimental image generator palette details (As of Ver. 1.13.0)

  • 1. The experimental feature will use the Stable Diffusion model developed and released by Stability AI LTD. The model will be used as-is, and Celsys is not providing any user data to train the model.
    Clip Studio Paint has not collected, and will not collect or use any form of data without clear consent from the user.
  • 2. The prompts and generated images used and made with the feature will be archived on a dedicated webpage anonymously. The archive will not collect new images resulting from painting, collaging, or otherwise editing the generated image.
  • 3. We cannot guarantee that images generated by the current model will not infringe on the rights of others. While we will not limit the use of generated images, we ask users to use their best legal and moral judgment and ensure that their work does not infringe on the rights of others in all cases, regardless of whether you use image generation or not.