The Book Cover Debate

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative space has been met with criticism, and understandably so. The backlash from some quarters of social media against the use of AI to create book covers has prompted me to share my perspective on why I specifically chose Shutterstock’s AI platform to create the cover for ‘The Manchineel’.

First, as an indie author who makes nothing from my book sales after expenses, using Shutterstock to commercially license an image was a cost effective option.

Second, and most importantly, I felt that Shutterstock’s AI generation practices mitigated the intellectual property concerns that many have raised as it relates to artist’s ownership rights to their art:

Shutterstock is the first AI image generator on the market that compensates contributors for their roles in the generative AI process. Through the Shutterstock Contributor Fund, we directly compensate Shutterstock contributors when their content is used in the development of generative models. The Shutterstock Contributor Fund will also pay ongoing royalties to contributors for future revenue associated with AI-generated content which has been generated and licensed directly on the Shutterstock platform. This is part of our commitment to responsible AI. For more information see this page on our Contributor knowledge base.

Only images generated by Shutterstock AI are guaranteed safe for commercial use. This is because our AI is ethically built and trained on proprietary data.

This model doesn't replace artists but rather collaborates with them, using high-quality, licensed images as its foundation. This ensures that not only are artists compensated for their work, but also that the AI operates within a framework that respects copyright and intellectual property rights. The AI models used to create the cover relied only on ethically sourced data used with the consent of the artists who receive compensation for their contribution.

Notwithstanding Shutterstock’s ethical AI practices, I have heard the valid points of those online calling for authors to support fellow artists. I am currently searching for an artist to redesign The Manchineel’s cover for a future edition. As I write book two, I also commit to work directly with an artist on future publications.

I hope you can take my transparency and the thoughtfulness behind my decision into consideration. My journey reflects not just a search for cost-effective solutions but also a commitment to participating in a model of creativity that respects and compensates the artistic community.