Avoiding AI Results In Reference Imagery
While I’m sure there are myriad good outcomes of recent digital innovation, in my daily life it seems like so many things are getting crummier. A major tool being enshittified is image search results. I was recently chatting with Eloise Narrigan and Jessica McGuirl about this and they’re facing the same hurdle: What used to be an incredibly convenient way of finding reference photos is now a careful game of I Spy. “Is this a photo or is it the uncanny hell-scape of an algorithm’s imagination?”
My feelings aren’t just a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that computers are coming to take my job. They’re based on a general fear of misrepresenting things. Sure, my illustrations aren’t 100% true to life—I take huge liberties for style, mood and clarity. But I like be informed by a starting point based in reality. I’ve devised a series of AI avoidance techniques that I’ll share here.
Ways to Avoid AI In Reference Searches
Get a filter. This only works if you’re using a Chrome-based browser and Google for you image search, but you can install a browser extension that will flag AI results. The one I’ve been using is callled, appropriately enough, “Google Search AI Image Hider.” I’ve been using it with good success!
Search for videos, not still images. While this isn’t fool-proof, I find it much easier to spot fake videos than fake still images. Bonus: if you’re getting reference for living creatures, you can pretend you’re doing life drawing.
Check your sources. Is the image hosted by a reputable publisher like PBS? National Geographic? It’s probably fine, and they’ll let you know what type of imagery you’re dealing with. But stock photography sites? They seem to be 95% AI trash at this point.
Search on Pinterest. It’s not totally AI-free, but it’s less poxed than most search engines. [edited in March to correct: Pinterest is getting AI-inundated quickly]
The library! If you have the time and energy, please hit up your local library for some books.
Things That Break My System
Rainbow Pencil Skunks
A rainbow pencil will make anything look an awful lot like an Indian giant squirrel.
Occasionally there are things that I can’t visually nail down. The Indian giant squirrel has been vexing me for a while. It seems like most pictures of these creatures are color-adjusted to make them appear more blue/purple than they actually are. Maybe I just need to take a trip and see them for myself. If you’ve gazed upon their glory in person, please email me to let me know just how psychedelic they look.
Thanks for hanging out,
Lauren