StyleSync
Personal Case Study & Prototype
Duration
November 2024 - December 2024
Location
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Role
UX Researcher & Designer
What is StyleSync?
StyleSync is a platform dedicated to preserving the integrity of human creativity in an age dominated by AI-generated art. By leveraging advanced tools, StyleSync identifies AI-generated artworks, traces their inspiration back to the original human creators, and promotes genuine, human-made artistry.
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Our mission is to empower artists by ensuring they receive the recognition and visibility they deserve while fostering a community that values authenticity and ethical creation.
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With features like artwork scanning, artist discovery, and a showcase of verified non-generative works, StyleSync is not just a tool—it's a movement to safeguard the future of art in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
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Related Information
Generative Art Concerns
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Galanter (2019) highlights a list of questions in generative art theory:
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Authorship: who gets credit? (artist, programmer, AI)
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Intent: why was it made?
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Uniqueness: does it diminish the value of the art when mass-produced?
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Authenticity: if generative art, art?
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Malleability: where does the art reside? (i.e. in code vs. original work)
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Meaning: can/should generative art be about more than generative systems?
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Roller (2023) echos other concerns and sentiments about:
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Consent
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Respect
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Financial loss
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Time and effort
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Devaluation of human work
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Training Via Publicly Accessible Content
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Generative AI models produce artwork by learning from publicly accessible content
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This content is often utilized without the informed or explicit consent of the original creators (Jiang et al., 2023)
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Leaves creators without proper credit → sense of disempowerment and discouragement
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Need for transparency and protective measure in online creative industry
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80.7% of surveyed artists believed creators of AI models should disclose the art or data used to train the systems, highlighting concerns about transparency and how such tools are developed (Lovato et.al., 2024)
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Threat to artists’ professions by devaluing human creativity and efforts
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Lack of awareness about works being repurposed by machine learning models
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Reputational Damages
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Potential reputation harm and misrepresentation of real artists
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I.e. harmful or offensive imagery under given art style
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With threats to reputation and damages to potential business, 61.87% of surveyed artists agreed that AI models are a threat to art workers and creators (Lovato et al., 2024)
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Financial Damages
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Concerns about economic impact
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AI can generate large volumes of art quickly by training their data with artists’ content
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Reduced demand for human-created art
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AI more cost effective & efficient → financial loss to human creators
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Many artists commented that they did not require compensation for their artwork being used in training AI (50.97%), however, many (22.80%) had concerns about who profited from it. (Lovato et. al., 2023)
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Desire for fairer profit-sharing models and better promotion of creators whose content AI is trained on
So What?
Current tools fail to offer comprehensive solutions for identifying original artists or styles of digital artwork.
StyleSync hopes to address issues of authenticity, ethicality, and authorship by promoting the visibility of human-made artwork and helping artists retain ownership of their works.
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By creating a tool that can identify AI-generated content and showcase the real artists behind specific styles, there is potential for offering clarity on the origins of digital artwork.
StyleSync may promote ethical practices within the digital art sphere by empowering artists, reinstating authorship, and verifying the authenticity of posted content.
Our Research Questions
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Have artists been discouraged from publishing their art pieces online due to the influx of AI-generated art in image/art-sharing online platforms?
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How do users discover and engage with different art styles and mediums (e.g., digital or traditional), and have those styles been used in AI-generated art that the user has seen?
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What factors influence users' interest in using an AI-powered art style scanner, and how does StyleSync's concept compare to other tools or platforms regarding user appeal?
Methodology
Our research consisted of 6 semi-structured interviews with members of the Rutgers Art and Design extracurricular club and other students.
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The questionnaire was based off our research questions but we also included follow up questions based on interviewees’ answers.
Data Results & Analysis
Key Findings from Interviews:
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Difficulty Distinguishing Art Origins:
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Users express frustration over the inability to differentiate between human-made and AI-generated artwork.
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Quote: “I can’t always tell if a piece is real or AI-made—it’s confusing and kind of frustrating.”
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Impact on Artists’ Mental Well-Being and Recognition:
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Artists feel disheartened by the prevalence of AI art, questioning the value and visibility of their work.
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Quote: “Seeing so much AI art online makes me question if there’s even space for human artists anymore.”
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Reluctance to Share Artwork:
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Concerns about style theft and lack of credit lead to hesitance in publishing online.
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Quote: “What’s the point of creating if my style can just be copied without credit?”
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Analysis on Key Findings
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Difficulty Distinguishing Art Origins
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Key Insight: A prevalent frustration among users is the inability to distinguish between human-created and AI-generated art, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction.
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Impact: This uncertainty diminishes users' trust in online art platforms, affecting their engagement and satisfaction. It highlights the need for transparency tools that can verify the origin of artwork and help users make more informed choices.
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Impact on Artists' Mental Well-Being and Recognition
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Key Insight: Artists feel disheartened by the overwhelming presence of AI art, leading them to question whether their work can gain recognition in an AI-dominated environment.
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Impact: This sentiment fosters a sense of insecurity among artists, as they worry that their craft will be overshadowed by the rapid proliferation of AI-generated pieces. The lack of differentiation between human and AI art may lead to a loss of visibility and recognition.
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Reluctance to Share Artwork
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Key Insight: Artists express concerns about the theft of their unique styles by AI, leading to hesitation in sharing their work online.
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Impact: This apprehension reflects a deeper concern over intellectual property theft, and the emotional toll it takes on creators. The fear of losing credit or ownership discourages artists from participating in online communities, diminishing their opportunity for exposure and financial support.
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