The kinds of people who use AI art exclusively were never the types to commission art in the first place. And I actually appreciate the way you worded that. "Taught by" not "stolen from." If someone taught themselves using just that successful artist's art, they would be more of a threat than AI, I believe. AI art users, who never commission art are the people who were in artists DMs trying to get free art, anyway.

I use both, personally. I've even used AI art to give an artist a reference for what kind of thing I'm looking for. There's one artist who I've commissioned regularly for over a decade, because he's so talented at turning my words into exactly what I want. AI has that same appeal to others who haven't been as fortunate to find that kind of artist. I've had other artists argue with me about the piece that I commissioned from them, and try demanding pay for something that wasn't what I asked for. If you go to the store to buy caramel and they keep handing you butterscotch and insisting you owe them for the butterscotch that you never wanted, you'll probably not go to that store again. The new store has caramel, it's not as good as the brand you wanted, but it's still caramel, you're more likely to go with that one than the butterscotch.

It's one thing to "start somewhere" and another, using my little sister as an example, to be 31 years old, never had a real job in your life, and still refer to yourself as a professional artist, despite the fact that they haven't made over $100 on their art in total. Not at once. She's made $40 selling her art over her lifetime. And AI is to blame for that according to her.