As you can imagine, the renewed highlighting of GlobalComix’s acceptance of AI and the investment and acquisition within that space raised concerns by creators whose comics are available on the digital comics platform.
TLDR;
- GlobalComix changes policy to remove fully AI generated works
- These works have been hidden today from the platform
- Our content team is working through finding mislabeled/undisclosed AI contents
- We support using AI tools supporting creator workflows, but not as fully generated
GlobalComix is, first and foremost, a home for human creativity.
We recognize that emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), can be used as creative tools, but also that their use raises valid concerns about originality, respect for artists’ rights and quality.
In this policy, we wanted to:
- Prioritize and protect human artistry
- Protect our creators and their work
- Enable creativity and expression across skills and use cases
- Create forward-looking guidelines and create a stable environment for creators as tools and technologies continue to evolve
- Set clear expectations for when and how AI-generated or AI-assisted materials can appear and be monetized on GlobalComix.
Our Principles
GlobalComix celebrates human storytelling, art, and originality.
We want creators to be able to thrive from their art and artistry.
AI tools may be used to assist creative work, but they should never fully remove the human from the workflow.
When AI Use Is Acceptable in Comics
- The uploader has full rights and licenses to use the AI tools and any resulting outputs.
- AI is used for supporting or enhancing a creator’s original work (for example, coloring assistance, idea exploration, background generation, effects, animation).
- When AI tools are used as a part in the broader creative workflow in concert with human artistry.
- The creator discloses AI involvement clearly when it forms a meaningful part of the artwork or writing (e.g., in the release description or credits).
GlobalComix may provide exceptions to our policy on the use of AI with regards to content creation when considering the guidelines above.
If GlobalComix requests material documenting licenses to characters, likenesses, intellectual property, or copyrights, it is the burden of the uploader to provide said material. When evidence is not provided in a timely manner, we will assume that these criteria have not been met.
Anyone considering uploading content utilizing generative AI should email content-violation@globalcomix.com and a member of our team will review the submission.
When AI Use Is Not Acceptable
Content that violates any of the following will not be allowed:
- Generated AI graphics that imitate or copy another creator’s intellectual property, style, likeness, or characters without permission.
- Works that misrepresent AI outputs as entirely human-made.
- AI-generated content that violates GlobalComix’s broader obscenity or hate-speech rules, including depictions of sexualized minors or sexual violence.
- Works where visuals are made fully via Gen AI prompts, instead of using AI as just one tool among many in a broader creative workflow.
If there is doubt about the origin of a work, GlobalComix may ask for supporting information (such as which AI tools were used, or documentation of rights).
Anyone considering uploading content utilizing generative AI should email content-violation@globalcomix.com and a member of our team will review the submission.
Protecting Creator Rights
- GlobalComix will not use creator-uploaded content to train Generative Visual AI models without the creator’s explicit opt-in consent if such systems are ever developed.
- Uploading content to GlobalComix does not grant third parties permission to train AI on that work unless the creator explicitly grants permission.
Monetization of AI-Generated Work
Content that is created with human artistry, but uses AI assisted tools (examples listed in section 7) can be monetized.
GlobalComix reserves the right to decide what qualifies as acceptable content and may remove monetization from any work it determines lacks sufficient original artistry from the creator.
Review and Updates
As laws, technologies, and community standards evolve, this policy may be updated.
GlobalComix will publish updates explaining how new policies affect both human and AI-assisted creators.
Questions or concerns about AI use can be sent to content-violation@globalcomix.com.
Examples of acceptable use of AI
Clip Studio Colorize & Smooth, Tone Remove features
https://help.clip-studio.com/en-us/manual_en/390_filters/AI_Tools.htm
Reasoning: These features empower creators and work as a small part of the creative process. Subjectivity, taste and creative decision-making is used extensively while creating the end product.
Adobe Illustrator AI features
https://www.adobe.com/learn/illustrator/web/illustrator-generative-ai-introduction
Reasoning: These features empower creators and work as a small part of the creative process. Subjectivity, taste and creative decision-making is used extensively while creating the end product.
Adobe Photoshop AI features (including generative fill)
https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/ai.html
Reasoning: These features empower creators and work as a small part of the creative process. Subjectivity, taste and creative decision-making is used extensively while creating the end product.
Custom Trained Visual Generation Models
Reasoning: It’s acceptable to use Generative AI to create visuals based on original and owned artwork. Original character design and world building is required to train the model, and the output needs to be composed to a final comic product with artistry and creative decision-making.
Retouching AI features
Reasoning: Using software and tools that edit original artwork (e.g. changing colors, up-scaling, smoothing, changing select details) is allowed as they work as a single step in a larger workflow that requires subjectivity and creative decision-making.
