Pangolin at Work #1
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wrote on last edited by [email protected]
EDIT: It’s honestly hard to believe how intense and personal some of the hostility in this thread is. I understand objecting to something when there is a valid concern, especially about ethics or consent. But this is something else entirely. It feels less like people are engaging with the actual work and more like they are reacting to the mere presence of AI in any form, regardless of context.
I don’t think LLMs are universally good or bad. I think they are very very bad at a large number of things, especially when people try to use them as shortcuts in places where care, originality, or expertise (or human understanding and subsequent empathy) are required. But they are also extremely effective in other use cases when used with skill, intention, and thought. That is the position I hold. It is nuanced. It does not dismiss the criticisms people have raised, but it also does not treat every use of the technology as automatically unethical or invalid.
What I did was not a random one-line prompt into a generator. I gave deliberate, specific instructions about pose, anatomy, style, and tone. I gave feedback. I adjusted the inputs. I guided it through a process that produced something unique and original. The result is not a collage of stolen images. It is not a copy of anything that has ever existed. That is important context, and it is constantly ignored in these arguments.
There is a real difference between raising concerns in good faith and launching personal attacks at people who use a tool in a considered way. The people jumping into these threads with moral outrage are not engaging in objective analysis. They are repeating talking points as if AI art is some kind of singular personal enemy. It often feels like they are reacting based on something they heard someone else say, rather than thinking critically about what is in front of them.
And this is happening in a community that is supposed to be supportive of neurodivergent people. That is the part I find most maddening. There is room here for discussion and for disagreement. But instead of debate, we get judgment, condescension, rabid hostility, and attempts to shame people for trying something different. That is not the kind of environment anyone should want to foster.
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EDIT: It’s honestly hard to believe how intense and personal some of the hostility in this thread is. I understand objecting to something when there is a valid concern, especially about ethics or consent. But this is something else entirely. It feels less like people are engaging with the actual work and more like they are reacting to the mere presence of AI in any form, regardless of context.
I don’t think LLMs are universally good or bad. I think they are very very bad at a large number of things, especially when people try to use them as shortcuts in places where care, originality, or expertise (or human understanding and subsequent empathy) are required. But they are also extremely effective in other use cases when used with skill, intention, and thought. That is the position I hold. It is nuanced. It does not dismiss the criticisms people have raised, but it also does not treat every use of the technology as automatically unethical or invalid.
What I did was not a random one-line prompt into a generator. I gave deliberate, specific instructions about pose, anatomy, style, and tone. I gave feedback. I adjusted the inputs. I guided it through a process that produced something unique and original. The result is not a collage of stolen images. It is not a copy of anything that has ever existed. That is important context, and it is constantly ignored in these arguments.
There is a real difference between raising concerns in good faith and launching personal attacks at people who use a tool in a considered way. The people jumping into these threads with moral outrage are not engaging in objective analysis. They are repeating talking points as if AI art is some kind of singular personal enemy. It often feels like they are reacting based on something they heard someone else say, rather than thinking critically about what is in front of them.
And this is happening in a community that is supposed to be supportive of neurodivergent people. That is the part I find most maddening. There is room here for discussion and for disagreement. But instead of debate, we get judgment, condescension, rabid hostility, and attempts to shame people for trying something different. That is not the kind of environment anyone should want to foster.
AI can generate an absolutely perfect pangolin, but keyboards? Mathematically impossible!
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AI can generate an absolutely perfect pangolin, but keyboards? Mathematically impossible!
I take it you didn’t like my comic, then?
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I take it you didn’t like my comic, then?
I'm not a fan of AI but I did like your comic premise.
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I'm not a fan of AI but I did like your comic premise.
Since I can’t draw, but I still have ideas, this seemed like the best way. ADHDinos is basically like the same 3 images over and over and no one seems to mind that. Plus, I shudder at the thought of trying to vector trace all those pangolin scales. I’m glad you liked it though.
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Since I can’t draw, but I still have ideas, this seemed like the best way. ADHDinos is basically like the same 3 images over and over and no one seems to mind that. Plus, I shudder at the thought of trying to vector trace all those pangolin scales. I’m glad you liked it though.
Just draw some doodles, you have enough talent to draw some simple characters, you'll get better over time and I am sure you'll have more fun doing it. Think of all the rage-comics 15 years ago, all trash level ms-paint art, massive and long lasting impact on pop-culture. Talent isn't required for memes, just ideas!
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Since I can’t draw, but I still have ideas, this seemed like the best way. ADHDinos is basically like the same 3 images over and over and no one seems to mind that. Plus, I shudder at the thought of trying to vector trace all those pangolin scales. I’m glad you liked it though.
You don't have to vector trace. Just try your best freehand with simple shapes and get better over time. A lot of digital drawing software has pen smoothing and you can adjust the paths after the fact if you use Inkscape/Illustrator.
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Just draw some doodles, you have enough talent to draw some simple characters, you'll get better over time and I am sure you'll have more fun doing it. Think of all the rage-comics 15 years ago, all trash level ms-paint art, massive and long lasting impact on pop-culture. Talent isn't required for memes, just ideas!
XKCD is literally stick figures, for example, and has more or less remained stick figures since its inception.
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You don't have to vector trace. Just try your best freehand with simple shapes and get better over time. A lot of digital drawing software has pen smoothing and you can adjust the paths after the fact if you use Inkscape/Illustrator.
I was going to say I don’t have the desire to devote the time it would take, but then I realized: I have never tried drawing digitally before. And I totally already have everything I need to do it. And now I am intrigued.
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Since I can’t draw, but I still have ideas, this seemed like the best way. ADHDinos is basically like the same 3 images over and over and no one seems to mind that. Plus, I shudder at the thought of trying to vector trace all those pangolin scales. I’m glad you liked it though.
If Dinosaur Comics can write utterly classic comics using the same exact clipart every time, you can do it too.
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If Dinosaur Comics can write utterly classic comics using the same exact clipart every time, you can do it too.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I was honestly hoping the Lemmy anti-AI knee-jerk responses would not have bled over into this community, but clearly that hope was in vain.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH. I was honestly hoping the Lemmy anti-AI knee-jerk responses would not have bled over into this community, but clearly that hope was in vain.
Homie you're gonna face that everywhere, not just Lemmy. GenAI is built on the intellectual property theft of thousands of artists. Nobody is going to applaud you for taking an unethical shortcut.
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Since I can’t draw, but I still have ideas, this seemed like the best way. ADHDinos is basically like the same 3 images over and over and no one seems to mind that. Plus, I shudder at the thought of trying to vector trace all those pangolin scales. I’m glad you liked it though.
This got me thinking.. Is there a place on Lemmy where you can post an idea, and others collaborate to improve it?
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EDIT: It’s honestly hard to believe how intense and personal some of the hostility in this thread is. I understand objecting to something when there is a valid concern, especially about ethics or consent. But this is something else entirely. It feels less like people are engaging with the actual work and more like they are reacting to the mere presence of AI in any form, regardless of context.
I don’t think LLMs are universally good or bad. I think they are very very bad at a large number of things, especially when people try to use them as shortcuts in places where care, originality, or expertise (or human understanding and subsequent empathy) are required. But they are also extremely effective in other use cases when used with skill, intention, and thought. That is the position I hold. It is nuanced. It does not dismiss the criticisms people have raised, but it also does not treat every use of the technology as automatically unethical or invalid.
What I did was not a random one-line prompt into a generator. I gave deliberate, specific instructions about pose, anatomy, style, and tone. I gave feedback. I adjusted the inputs. I guided it through a process that produced something unique and original. The result is not a collage of stolen images. It is not a copy of anything that has ever existed. That is important context, and it is constantly ignored in these arguments.
There is a real difference between raising concerns in good faith and launching personal attacks at people who use a tool in a considered way. The people jumping into these threads with moral outrage are not engaging in objective analysis. They are repeating talking points as if AI art is some kind of singular personal enemy. It often feels like they are reacting based on something they heard someone else say, rather than thinking critically about what is in front of them.
And this is happening in a community that is supposed to be supportive of neurodivergent people. That is the part I find most maddening. There is room here for discussion and for disagreement. But instead of debate, we get judgment, condescension, rabid hostility, and attempts to shame people for trying something different. That is not the kind of environment anyone should want to foster.
Pangolin had it coming, setting up meetings without looking at coworkers' calendars. Fuck you, discount armadillo, you're not more important than me!
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This got me thinking.. Is there a place on Lemmy where you can post an idea, and others collaborate to improve it?
Like a drawing, or like other stuff?
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Pangolin had it coming, setting up meetings without looking at coworkers' calendars. Fuck you, discount armadillo, you're not more important than me!
How dare you besmirch pangolin. Pangolin is best animal.
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How dare you besmirch pangolin. Pangolin is best animal.
He abuses his cuteness to avoid consequences. He's a sociopath, is what he is!
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Since I can’t draw, but I still have ideas, this seemed like the best way. ADHDinos is basically like the same 3 images over and over and no one seems to mind that. Plus, I shudder at the thought of trying to vector trace all those pangolin scales. I’m glad you liked it though.
Just ignore the anti AI dumbasses and keep doing what you're doing. This is literally one of the best use cases for AI - to allow people to explore their creativity in the avenue of their choice.
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Like a drawing, or like other stuff?
Like when you have a joke in mind but can't draw it, or when you write a song but can't get the melody right, and so on.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH. I was honestly hoping the Lemmy anti-AI knee-jerk responses would not have bled over into this community, but clearly that hope was in vain.
come on over to db0 and hang out with us! would be welcome here. good comic.
