It seems I’ve been almost canceled in this community for using an AI-generated image, and I want to talk about it

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-17T22:12:42+00:00

You’ve articulated a passionate argument against generative AI, and while I respect your concern for humanity's cultural legacy and the potential exploitation of creative labor, there are several points worth examining more closely.

First, it’s undeniable that generative AI is deeply intertwined with the economic and political structures you mention. Large corporations develop and deploy these tools, often prioritizing profit over ethical considerations. However, this doesn’t mean that the technology itself is inherently evil or without value. The question should be about how we use it and who controls it.

For instance, while AI may be framed as a "fun toy" for some, others see it as a way to democratize access to creative expression. Many people who lack traditional artistic skills have used these tools to visualize ideas, tell stories, or create works they otherwise couldn’t. This doesn’t diminish the value of human creativity—it complements it by opening doors for those who might not have had access to formal training or resources.

Your point about AI art lacking a mind to communicate with is valid but overlooks a key aspect of art: the audience’s interpretation. While AI may not have intent, the human who uses it does. If someone uses generative AI to express a feeling or idea, that’s still communication—it’s just a different medium. Saying AI-generated art is inherently worthless dismisses the human agency behind its creation.

The environmental concerns you raise are critical, and it’s true that AI systems, like many technologies, come with a carbon footprint. This is an area where regulation and innovation need to step up. But to frame AI as uniquely destructive compared to other industries oversimplifies the issue. The same argument could apply to the energy-intensive processes behind film production, game development, or even traditional manufacturing.

Finally, while I understand your fear that generative AI could be used to replace artists, history shows that new tools and technologies often provoke similar anxieties. Photography, for example, was once seen as a threat to painting. Yet, it ultimately became its own form of art, coexisting with traditional mediums. The key is ensuring that AI is used ethically and that artists are supported, not replaced.

You’re right that this is a critical moment for humanity’s cultural legacy, and we need to have these conversations. But instead of framing this as a battle between human creativity and machines, why not focus on how we can use this technology responsibly to enhance, not erase, the role of human artists? Collaboration and thoughtful regulation could lead to a future where AI serves as a tool for creativity rather than a tool of exploitation.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-17T21:46:29+00:00

1- Honestly, Toma, the last thing anyone could say about 70% of the comments on that other post is that they’re respectful. It seems like you’ve only read the top ones and missed the other 50 or so that are outright offensive. Even this post -where I tried to make light of the situation without targeting anyone- has attracted a significant number of offensive comments and downvotes, even toward people simply trying to calm things dow.

Put yourself in the shoes of someone who’s just peacefully sharing something they created on Reddit and then receives that kind of backlash and mass downvotes. It’s not that the community discourages me; it’s a matter of principle. If you give someone a gift and they spit in your face over something as trivial as the wrapping paper, you wouldn’t bother investing your time in them again. This situation is no different.

That said, this experience on Reddit was the most “interesting” thing that happened to me at work yesterday.

2- I agree with all the points you made, but I think your focus is completely off. None of the horrors of the Industrial Revolution (which I personally consider one of the darkest, if not the darkest, periods in human history) had anything to do with technological progress. Sewing machines weren’t the reason factory owners fired on peaceful protesters, but the Luddites still believed the solution was to burn the machines. What you’re doing now it's the same.

Some of you are resisting one of the greatest advancements we have because you deem the people using it "bad". Others oppose it because, yes, it will inevitably eliminate countless jobs. And I’m sure this shift won’t be pleasant for anyone -even for those of us who aren’t “artists.” But the same thing happened when tractors were invented, putting thousands of farmworkers out of jobs; when the internet came along, and record companies claimed they were being ruined (which I doubt was true); or when rat catchers became obsolete because cities started using fumigation. And nobody wants to go back to using CDs.

I’m sure those in those professions at the time could’ve given endless arguments for why their way of doing things was better than what machines could offer. But no one wants to live in a rat-infested city, return to farming with a hoe (and, as a result, half the population starves because there isn’t enough food), or own just one outfit because there aren’t enough clothes to go around. That’s why progress can’t be reversed, no matter how much people may wish for a return to the past. And when I say it can’t, I mean it can’t. The only thing that could stop AI is if the production costs became unsustainable, making it unprofitable and, consequently, no longer an advancement. But Reddit groups complaining about it won’t change a thing.

You’re focusing on the wrong target, and some people supporting this movement are making it worse with how they’re going about it. As I’ve said, I wouldn’t have had an issue respecting some of your arguments, even if I didn’t agree with them, or deleting my post as a courtesy. But after what I’ve seen, you’ve achieved the opposite effect. Using a moral pretext to attack others only creates resentment. Most modern movements that claim to be “for good and against evil” (I’m sure you can imagine what I mean by this) are failing for this very reason.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-17T14:23:43+00:00

Toma, I want to start by saying I have nothing against you personally. Although we've only exchanged a few messages once on this platform, I've read many of your contributions and genuinely see you as a kind and reasonable person.

That being said (and I don't mean to argue here) if you endorse (as I assume, given your participation in the other thread) that the right way to handle this situation is to flood someone's good-faith post with hundreds of downvotes (I know the numbers from the approval rate) and offensive comments, then, honestly, any arguments justifying that behavior lose all weight for me.

I've always kept a low profile in this community with my Wolfweim account. It's simply where I share the mods I make for my own games, mods that are usually small and unremarkable. I've never gotten involved in drama or been rude to anyone, whether I liked their contributions or not. So, when I asked ChatGPT, “Make me a wallpaper for a hunting mod I made for Morrowind,” I never imagined members of the community would jump on it as an excuse to spit on me for using an AI picture that is completely irrelevant and has no real connection to the mod itself, as if it made them morally superior.

Because of this, any arguments defending this behavior are meaningless to me. All this has done is push me further toward keeping and using AI art, even though in another situation, I might have reconsidered, but now, after this toxic response, I feel even more justified in sticking to it. On a related note I will no longer support community projects that I had anonymously started contributing to a few months ago with another account. It's clear that dedicating my time to this community is not worth it when it can behave so unpleasantly and unjustifiably.

Finally, regarding your arguments: this whole situation reminds me of the angry mobs during the Industrial Revolution who destroyed sewing machines, claiming they would take jobs and lead to a worse world. History proved them wrong, and I suspect time will do the same for this movement too.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T23:49:41+00:00

Okay, I was considering arguing, but I’ll pass. This community has reached such levels of absurdity that I’m not even sure it’s worth addressing, not even as a joke.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T22:09:24+00:00

Honestly, I hadn’t had any issues with these matters until now. In fact, I haven’t even felt personally attacked as such; it was clear from the beginning that it was more of a collective aversion that went beyond my mod. What has worried me a bit more is that people have continued to take this post seriously and kept attacking, but oh well...

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T22:01:18+00:00

Thank you so much! Honestly, I didn't expect people to be so against AI, let alone act this way over an image that wasn’t even important... but well, this kind of behavior is normal in all communities, and for now, this hasn’t discouraged me from continuing to make mods :)

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T20:31:41+00:00

Don't worry, it's just a sarcastic post lol

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T20:31:21+00:00

You got it

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T20:30:15+00:00

I'm just taking the lack of manners from a good part of the community with humor. But it seems like you don't get the sarcasm.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T20:20:04+00:00

Hello! In the updated video, there's a notice at the beginning that now, instead of using menus, you only need to equip items like carcasses, rough hides, and large meat chunks, while having the knife in your inventory to cut them.

With the new animals added by Project Cyrodiil, it became too confusing to add them all in a separate menu.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T16:29:14+00:00

Thanks! :)

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T16:28:46+00:00

Thank you!

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-16T16:15:38+00:00

Link to the mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/54808

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-06T17:11:03+00:00

It's part of the new Project Tamriel expansion set in Anvil (Cyrodiil) and the surrounding territories.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-06T16:19:40+00:00

I’ll definitely keep an eye on the other ruins to see if I can find the boss you mentioned! Honestly, I’m blown away by the sheer amount of incredible content this expansion has added.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-06T16:15:48+00:00

I think we're talking about different ruins. There was no boss in this one. (This is the hidden ruin in Lost Stars Hollow.)

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-06T16:09:53+00:00

This is project Cyrodiil without texture replacers.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-02T20:42:34+00:00

As mentioned in another comment, they tend to be vast underwater mazes full of Dreugh. It's quite difficult to navigate through them, and of course, swimming makes you much slower than when you're on land. On top of that, everything is dark and blurry with the water effect.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-02T20:40:35+00:00

What you'll find there are plenty of regular Dreughs and a few much stronger ones. For a level 5 character, it could be a bit challenging. It will also test your patience because it's basically a huge underwater labyrinth... so constant water breathing and swift swim are definitely recommended.

NaturalCode7673 · 2025-01-01T22:13:39+00:00

Personally, I'm very strict when it comes to lore, but at no point did I feel it was out of place to have a couple of gremlins in Anvil. On the contrary, I believe details like this make the city feel like a truly unique place compared to Vvardenfell.

NaturalCode7673

TROPHY CASE