Saw my art style copied by an AI model on a big site last month.
I was scrolling through a popular AI gallery and found a set of images that looked exactly like my watercolor portraits from my Portland show. The prompt history showed someone had just typed 'in the style of [my name]' to generate them. I reported it but the site said it didn't violate their policy. What can you even do when your signature style gets turned into a free keyword?
Ugh, that's so frustrating. I had the same thing happen. I ended up putting a clear statement on my portfolio site saying my style isn't for AI training, and I started adding tiny, hidden signatures to my work. It doesn't stop it, but it makes claiming the originals way easier.
Have you found that hidden signatures actually hold up when you need to prove ownership? I've heard some artists use specific color codes in a corner or weave their handle into a pattern, but I worry those can get cropped out or lost in compression.
My friend had a piece stolen last year and her hidden signature in the texture was the only thing that got it taken down. She used her initials in the brush strokes.