A startup that allows artists to create generative AI models based on their own work has raised £3.4m in a seed funding round.
Generative AI models being used to create art has been a controversial practice ever since tools like OpenAI’s Dall-E first showcased the technology’s ability to rapidly produce illustrations of all styles.
There have been concerns from unions representing artists about the risk of the technology being used to replace them and the high likelihood that real artists’ work was being used to train AI models without consent.
London-based Exactly.ai, however, is aiming to provide “ethical AI” art generation tools that artists could use to help their careers.
Users of Exactly.ai can create their own image generation model, trained on their work. The idea is that artists upload as many examples of their art to the model as possible, which can then be used to generate images in their original style.
The startup said all models created using its platform are trained exclusively by data consensually provided by the artist, who then owns the rights to any subsequent images generated by the model.
Exactly.ai told UKTN it could ensure the data provided for the models was the genuine property of the user by comparing the “original data set provided to us with the artist’s portfolios automatically”.
If the startup detects a “risk above the threshold that the data set does not belong to the artist” during this comparison, they are contacted and told to prove ownership of the work.
The company also has a public library of models that it said would encourage cooperation among artists.
“For public models, we publish the data sets the models were trained on to be transparent to everyone, reducing the chances of stealing someone’s artwork,” the company said.
Speedinvest led the seed funding round with participation from InReach Ventures, Cornerstone VC and GuruDev Capital.
“Exactly.ai represents a groundbreaking step forward for the creative arts sector,” said Speedinvest partner Julian Blessin.
Blessin said the startup would “harness the power of technology but do so in a way that democratises and enriches our cultural landscape”.
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