Makoto Yukimura Clarifies AI Comment After Vinland Saga Art Dispute
Vinland Saga creator Makoto Yukimura clarified on Sunday that his earlier remark that "AI does a good job" was not an endorsement of generative AI.
1 source 1h ago
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Why it matters
The episode shows how quickly a creator's offhand praise can be read as a stance on generative AI, and how a plain clarification can reset the reading without changing the underlying position.
Key Facts
- Makoto Yukimura clarified his generative AI comment on Sunday on his X account.
- The exchange began when Yukimura praised an image of Vinland Saga character Thorfinn in a wheat field.
- Another X user told Yukimura the image was made using generative AI.
- Yukimura replied, "Wow, Is that so? AI does a good job."
- Yukimura's clarification said AI steals art and that he is in trouble if AI develops too much.
The exchange began when Yukimura praised an image of Thorfinn in a wheat field, then was told it was AI-made. He replied, "Wow, Is that so? AI does a good job." In his clarification, Yukimura said AI steals art and that he is in trouble if it develops too much.
The image showed Thorfinn standing in a wheat field. Yukimura thanked the poster for understanding the character's heart, and wrote that if everyone were rich enough there would be no need to fight. A reply then said the piece was made with generative AI and that the account had been passing off other artists' work as its own.
Yukimura's answer to that reply was short: "Wow, Is that so? AI does a good job." Criticism followed on X, with users saying he had been fooled or was endorsing AI art. His Sunday clarification separated the observation from approval. He wrote that AI steals art and that he is in trouble if it develops too much, and that the reason is that AI does a good job to some extent. "It's just a fact," he wrote. "It is not an affirmation."
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Sources
- Anime News Network Vinland Saga Creator Makoto Yukimura Addresses Comments on AI Imagery