Let's NOT throw the baby out with the bathwater

This past week on SM has been putting out some very ‘let’s throw the baby out with the bathwater’ energy. I’m talking, of course, about Canva, the online graphic design tool that so many of us indie authors use to create our graphics.

For those who haven’t seen all the chatter on Threads and other platforms, Canva has been adopting an increasingly pro gen-AI stance. Things seem to have come to a head recently, with people announcing they are cancelling their Canva subscriptions in droves and looking for non-AI alternatives.

Now firstly, I get the concern and for anyone who wants to know, here’s my stance on generative AI:

Do I use it in my writing? NO. Absolutely not.

Do I use it for my covers? NO. Absolutely not.

Do I use it for my promo graphics? To the best of my knowledge, NO, I do not.

Let me qualify that last statement. Despite being one of the most intuitive and fun ways of creating graphics I’ve ever used, Canva is unfortunately rubbish when it comes to labelling AI elements. We thought we were safe with them. We weren’t. I really hope they’ll start to do better soon because as the beast evolves, it’s getting increasingly difficult to tell just by looking. I now buy most of the (non-AI) stock images I use for my promo graphics from stock photo sites that clearly label what is, and what isn’t AI, and import them into my Canva portfolio to use in my designs. But as a longtime Canva user, I cannot categorically state that I have never inadvertently used a gen-AI image. I can only say I do my damnedest not to. And honestly? I think that’s the best any of us can do with the way things are right now.

Because generative AI is here to stay whether we like it or not, and it’s only going to get more and more prevalent, whatever programme we choose to use. I won’t be leaving Canva because to me it’s just a case of delaying the inevitable - other tools are going to be just the same or worse eventually, even if they haven’t reached that stage yet. I would rather stick around and give Canva the chance to (hopefully) wake up and listen to what its users are telling them.

Will I be looking very carefully at all the graphics and elements I use to ensure they’re not AI generated? Of course I will.

Is it possible I might slip up at some point? Of course it is (I hope not but let’s be realistic).

So here’s a simple request for those of you who detest gen-AI as much as I do. If you come across a post (mine or another author’s) which you suspect might have been created using gen-AI:

1. Please consider the possibility that it was done in all innocence not realising the graphic was AI.
2. Please also consider the possibility that you could be wrong, because even AI 'detectors' frequently generate false positives.
3. Please keep in mind that for some reason FB and IG (not sure about TikTok as I don't hang out there) have started randomly labelling posts as having 'AI content' when they are NOT made with generative AI (reinforcing what I just said about AI detectors being worse than useless).
4. And lastly, please don’t call them out publicly over it, because that kind of thing is so harmful to an author’s credibility even if it turns out to be totally unfounded (the no smoke without fire effect).

Sadly, Gen-AI is not going to go away just because we would like it to. The best we can do is find a way to live alongside it while keeping ourselves apart from it.

Thanks for coming to my rant. I’m sure there’ll be another one along shortly!