Cara: A new anti-AI art app is here!

It’s no secret that, like me, artists have had their fair share of issues with social media apps like Instagram and Facebook. From declining engagement to being drowned in the millions of posts uploaded daily, while these platforms have their advantages, they have been starting to feel a bit ‘icky’ lately.

And now, with generative AI, the line between human art and AI art is getting more blurred. Tech companies are using images and videos posted online to train their AI models – even those out-of-focus photos of a puppy taken by your grandma, affecting everyone. By agreeing to the updated privacy policy, you may be unknowingly permitting them to use your work. Although you can opt-out, it’s very clear they’re not making the process easy.

If you live in the EU where privacy and data protection laws are strict you might be safe, but not everyone is protected from the unauthorised use of their conversations, artwork, recordings, writing and videos by tech companies.

This is where the debate over AI artwork gets more heated.

Artists already worried about how AI-generated art will change their lives now also have to grapple with the thought of their hand-crafted work painstakingly created over time being turned into technology that can take away their livelihoods.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by this topic, I understand your fears and frustrations. And I am right there with you.

I am watching and waiting. I have already been through the panic phase.

Panic won't get us anywhere.

The question is, why do we continue to be surprised when Meta only cares about its pockets?

It’s okay to panic, but we should also be prepared to adapt, change, learn and grow. Educate yourself on these changes.

Please don't make any hasty decisions. If you can opt out of the AI scraping, do so.

You can also prepare yourself by looking for other artist websites more suited to what you’re looking for. A few are popping up claiming to be better than Instagram, including the trendy new platform called Cara, which has seen a spike of new users recently.

What is Cara?

It is a social media platform created by artists for artists. That means you can build an art portfolio, have an online art gallery, sell and buy art and connect with others in the artist community.

Created by Jingna Zhang, cara.app stands out for its artist-centric features, allowing you to post your portfolio just as easily as you would a GIF or meme, engage in meaningful discussions with other users and even find artists and job opportunities.

And… it’s FREE of AI art!

Cara has partnered with Glaze to stop AI scraping of artwork, protecting you from style mimicry. It also has an AI art image detection tool that prevents people from uploading such work.

So, is it time to make the switch?

My answer is yes and no.

Are there benefits of anti-AI-generated art platforms? Absolutely. This is why I have joined Cara to secure a handle.

One major disadvantage I see with platforms such as Cara is the sea of competition. It will most likely be flooded with fellow artists and art enthusiasts, which might not lead to actual sales. Yes, artists support each other, but connecting with a wide and varied audience, which Meta platforms already provide, is equally important for you to thrive.

If you have been on my newsletter for a while, you know I dislike Instagram and left it for Pinterest two years ago. I use Pinterest and focus on search engines. But that doesn't mean that any of my work is 'safe'.

But no platform is guaranteed to be safe for artists and other creatives. There always seems to be a hazy explanation of how our data is being used, and the only way to fully understand this whole thing is to have a deep understanding of these technologies, that’s not me and may not be a lot of people.

I believe we should avoid focusing solely on social media platforms for the sake of it, and instead, understand what you’re getting out of them and how each can help you.

Yes, it may not be so simple to leave Instagram altogether, especially if you’ve been on the platform for years and have built a substantial audience there.

But there’s no harm in trying other apps and finding out what works for you.
With AI developing so rapidly, artists seem to be trapped in technology capitalism. Many companies that buy your art, don’t care about your work. They care about sales. The art industry, like many others, will change dramatically because of these tools.

I think that while commercial art will transform, our love for meaningful creative work isn’t going anywhere. As we’ve seen through time, human ingenuity will get us through this.

So while the latest updates about AI artwork and AI artists may be disheartening, it’s also a good time to look at how we use social media. Treat social media as a tool to build your audience, but don't rely on these platforms to do right by you.

For now, I am waiting to see how Cara develops. We need more ethical platforms that set a high standard for privacy and respect data protection such as Cara, but competing with well-established platforms like Meta, TikTok and X is a colossal task. Unfortunately, that means some people can try out new platforms, but others may not be able to leave these social media apps behind altogether.

I am also dealing with this situation by connecting in more authentic ways. That’s why I write an Art Newsletter.

I recommend you try something that resonates with you in the same way. Use these platforms as a tool, nothing more. Take your connections off it and build genuine connections.

Have you signed up for Cara? I would love to hear your thoughts about it.

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