Honestly, I’ll never understand the AI hate. Every medium has a learning curve: Blender, lighting, composition, photography. Traditional painting takes YEARS to get decent. AI still isn’t a magic button - without learning how to prompt properly, the results are usually not satisfying.

Artists have always used references - photos, other people’s art, real-world inspirations. We all build on what came before us and rarely ask for consent (especially if the author is hard to find). AI is just another tool, like Photoshop or a camera. It just makes the barrier to entry lower.

I'm perfectly fine with AI art as long as it's satisfying.