Will we soon be able to use AI-generated images worry-free and entirely legally?

May 2023

Are you curious about how – and how rapidly – the wave of AI-driven creativity will transform the world of advertising and communication? Artificial intelligence seems unstoppable. But what about the legal issues about copyright and ethics? Adobe’s Firefly might just be the answer that advertisers and communication agencies are seeking.

In short

  1. The legal aspect of AI creativity is complex.
  2. Adobe’s Firefly uses copyright-free stock images.
  3. Firefly offers an interface that provides designers with more control.
  4. The future of design lies in the hands of AI and human designers.

AI creativity: a legal challenge

Artists and creatives are increasingly using AI tools like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Dall-E to generate ideas from text prompts. Some creations are impressive. However, the legal aspect is a tricky point. For instance, artist Kris Kashtanova was denied by the U.S. Copyright Office when he tried to claim rights for images he created via MidJourney. It appears that coming up with well-chosen prompts is not sufficient to be considered as creative work.

Adobe’s Solution: Firefly

Adobe seems to have found a solution with Firefly. This AI tool allows you to work freely and confidently with an AI assistant without crossing ethical and legal boundaries. Firefly uses copyright-free stock images for tool training. However, the images it generates are not used for training, which helps alleviate ethical and legal concerns. Adobe even plans to pay artists for their contributions to the training data.

More control for designers

Firefly is integrated into Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere, offering an interface that provides designers with more control. It facilitates quick and targeted creation and intervention in AI-generated images. This stands in contrast to other AI tools, like Midjourney, where you’re dependent on language and technical prompts.

What changes in design tools?

Working with design tools will be different, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Until now, the ideation phase of a design project involved the development of one or more mood boards. Thanks to AI, uploading those mood boards and quickly generating an initial visual draft is now possible, which helps designers and clients choose a direction to pursue. Furthermore, the creative process is enhanced through the ability to create a multitude of mockups, solidifying the concept and providing a concrete representation for clients. In addition, easy-to-use AI tools make design more accessible to non-designers, such as marketing and sales professionals, who need visual aids to enhance their presentations.

“AI is a promising and valuable tool that we want to use in a smart and relevant way in our creative work process. It will be about continuous learning and experimentation.” - Lim Sijmons, Design Director at June20.

How can June2O help you?

At June20, we closely monitor the latest trends and developments. We embrace the possibilities that AI offers and consider how we can integrate them into our workflow. Our goal is to realise ideas and concepts as sustainably as possible and to bring people and brands closer together. With AI tools, we can create more precisely and apply our “Engineering Emotions” approach more efficiently. With Firefly’s new interface, we keep control over AI image generation.

"AI will fundamentally change the way we approach art and design. It's an exciting time to be a creative." - Rafaël Rozendaal, one of the world's best-known digital artists.