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<\/p>\nCartoonists say they are worried about the future of their craft, as media companies continue to grapple with integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the Herald Sun newspaper published an AI-generated illustration alongside an article about Victorian Premier Ben Carroll.<\/p>\n
The illustration, which was clearly marked by the publisher as being AI generated, depicted Mr Carroll with a pirate’s leg scraping barnacles off a ship decorated with former Labor premiers Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews.<\/p>\n
The ABC understands News Corp has been using AI-generated illustrations for about two years.<\/p>\n
The move has left some cartoonists concerned for what they say is a shrinking industry.<\/p>\n
Cartoonist Fiona Katauskas said seeing the spread of AI illustrations on social media and in newspapers felt like a “punch in the gut”.<\/p>\n
“There’s sadness because just as a cartoonist and an illustrator, it is AI taking someone’s job,” she said.<\/p>\n
“But also, they’re just ugly \u2026 it’s very easy to spot an AI illustrational cartoon because they’ve all got the same style.”<\/p>\n
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Fiona Katauskas has used her art to make statements about AI. (Supplied: Fiona Katauskas)<\/p>\n
The Herald Sun and News Corp have been contact for comment.<\/p>\n
The company’s code of conduct requires any image altered by digital tools, including AI, to be labelled as being digitally altered or similar.<\/p>\n
It also states that the “same editorial rigour and standards” be applied to content that is sourced from AI technology, including images and graphics.<\/p>\n
“Content from AI technology cannot be published on any platform including social media without being first reviewed and approved by an editor or relevant editorial manager,” the policy reads.<\/p>\n
‘Damaging’ for industry, cartoonist association says<\/p>\n
Katauskas said she had seen more Australian newspapers using AI to create illustrations over the past year, which she believed most people had not noticed.<\/p>\n
“This is happening at a time when the media is collapsing and has less money,” she said.<\/p>\n
“So the fear is that it’ll just be easier for editors to fill a space and hope that the vast majority of people don’t notice.”<\/p>\n
Katauskas, who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years, said it had changed a lot during that time.<\/p>\n
“Cartooning as an industry has been shrinking dramatically for years now,” she said.<\/p>\n
She said she was recently told her contract with the Guardian Australia would not be renewed, meaning she would be working as a freelance cartoonist from next week.<\/p>\n
“Cartooning is a wonderful, centuries-old art \u2026 and I would just love it to be kept alive,” Katauskas said.<\/p>\n
The Guardian has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n
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Media companies are adopting AI technologies and developing policies. (Four Corners: Mark Hiney)<\/p>\n
Deputy president of the Australian Cartoonists Association, David Blumenstein, recently published a book about the infiltration of AI in the world of illustrations.<\/p>\n
He said while it was disappointing to see newspapers use AI-generated illustrations, it wasn’t surprising.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s damaging for the cartooning and illustration industry, obviously,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s been growing pretty steadily since these [AI] platforms that were free to the public sort of popped up back in 2022 or thereabouts.<\/p>\n
“The thing that frightened me the most ultimately, was that perhaps the people who hire us \u2026 maybe they don’t care about the ethics.”<\/p>\n
Media implementing AI tools, developing policies<\/p>\n
University of Melbourne academic Jeff Sparrow said the use of AI was a complex issue.<\/p>\n
“I think that we are likely to see AI used as the pretext for a lot of job shedding,” Dr Sparrow, a senior lecturer at university’s Centre for Advancing Journalism, said.<\/p>\n
“It’s really important that the unions in the media industry take this on as a serious issue and make a concerted effort to protect people’s jobs and to promote their interests.”<\/p>\n
Many media companies in Australia have started implementing AI tools, including the ABC, which has recently launched an AI writing trial<\/a> to create digital news articles based on radio bulletins.<\/p>\n The ABC also updated its AI guidelines earlier this year. The organisation’s previous principles on AI said it would inform audiences about how it was using AI technologies.<\/p>\n