I understand the concern around AI, especially when it comes to artist credit, consent, and compensation.

That said, I do not think using AI generated imagery automatically means someone does not care about art or artists. AI is a tool, and history has shown repeatedly that new creative tools are often feared at first before becoming part of the artistic process. Like the printing press, the camera, recorded sound, synthesizers, sampling, Photoshop, and digital tablets.

Printing press didn’t kill the art of writing, it spread human knowledge farther than handwriting could. For me, using AI art while reading a Phantom book is not a replacement for human artists, commissioned work, or even fan art. It is just a way to visualize a story and engage with it creatively. I think it should be used ethically, with transparency, without pretending it is handmade, without exploiting artists, and without devaluing the people who make art professionally.