Arabic version: رسامو الكاريكاتير يثيرون مخاوف بشأن الرسوم التوضيحية بالذكاء الاصطناعي

According to ABC News, cartoonists are warning that AI-generated illustrations could further weaken an industry they say has been shrinking for years. The concerns followed the Herald Sun’s publication of an AI-generated image alongside an article about Victorian Premier Ben Carroll.

The labelled illustration showed Mr Carroll with a pirate’s leg scraping barnacles from a ship decorated with former Labor premiers Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews. The ABC understands News Corp has used AI-generated illustrations for about two years. Its code of conduct requires images altered with digital tools, including AI, to be labelled and reviewed by an editor or relevant editorial manager before publication.

Cartoonist Fiona Katauskas said seeing AI illustrations on social media and in newspapers felt like a “punch in the gut”. She said the growth of AI imagery had occurred while media organisations had less money, creating fears that editors could use the technology to fill space. Katauskas, who has worked in the field for more than 30 years, said her Guardian Australia contract would not be renewed and she would become a freelance cartoonist from next week.

Australian Cartoonists Association deputy president David Blumenstein said newspaper use of AI illustrations was disappointing but not surprising, and described it as damaging to cartooning and illustration. University of Melbourne senior lecturer Jeff Sparrow said AI could be used as a pretext for job shedding and called for unions to protect workers’ interests. He also said journalists and the community should demand transparency about outlets’ AI policies, platforms and uses.

Media organisations are developing different rules for AI. The ABC has launched an AI writing trial for digital stories based on radio bulletins, while its guidelines say it will be open with audiences when AI use could materially affect their understanding of content. Nine Publishing says it will not use AI to generate photo-realistic images or illustrations for publication, except where the AI-generated nature of the image is the point of the story. The MEAA said editorial cartooning requires artistic ability, political understanding, journalistic judgement and accountability that cannot be automated.