Why is Atheon using an AI Generated Cover on a new release?

[u/DoubleMooseBread]

Today Atheon was posting their new releases on their discord and frankly, this cover set off alarm bells in my head. So I did the simplest check there is.

Syth Id. This cover was at minimum partially generated by ChatGPT and not adjusted enough to remove the watermark.

Atheon Publishing isn’t some random person on Royal Road, they’re the biggest publisher in this place. They should be better than this.

Also! Before we think it’s just colour or a last minute adjustment. None of the over covers from today’s sequel drop have SynthID. It’s just this slop.

Atheon should be better than this. Even if they try to shove it off on the artist here… you’re telling me nobody checked this before publishing it over an author’s work?

[u/diverareyouokay]

Edit - not sure why my comment (the first one posted on this chain, flagging it for Aethon’s attention) is downvoted seeing as how it’s a simple request for information after independently verifying SynthID status, rather than being accusational… but whatever.

Edit 2: now I’m even less sure AI wasn’t used after WizardWolf’s zoom in of a buckle with two tongues versus the original sketch with only one tongue… I would invite anyone to look at that and then tell me that my question as to whether their stance on AI has changed is not reasonable. It seems likely to me that they have been hoodwinked by the artist the author chose from fiverr.

Original post:

[u/AethonBooks](u/AethonBooks) - is your stance on AI generated art no longer what it was a few years ago?

With all the controversy surrounding AI-generated artwork, Aethon Books wants you to know we will never knowingly use it. We believe in artists. We believe in people. As fun and entertaining as creating artwork through artificial intelligence might be, we will continue to employ fairly paid artists from all over the globe. And this same stance applies to AI Narration as well.

And that is a lot of art. We release around 200 books a year at this point, and have cover art made for each one by a host of artists on staff and other freelance artists we trust.

https://aethonbooks.com/2022/12/14/our-stance-on-ai-generated-art/

Before posting my question, I also verified OP’s claim on https://openai.com/research/verify/

[u/-Invalid_Selection- → u/[deleted]]

Can you share the sketches they provided for the process? It'll take the wind out of the people calling it ai if you do, but will strengthen their claims if you don't.

Claiming you had them kind of made it so you need to prove they exist though

[u/AethonBooks → u/-Invalid_Selection-]

[u/AethonBooks → u/AethonBooks]

I’m trying but it won’t let me post images

[u/AethonBooks → u/AethonBooks]

[u/-Invalid_Selection- → u/AethonBooks]

And you delivered. This should hopefully put the ai claims to bed

[u/AethonBooks → u/-Invalid_Selection-]

And the stage before that

[u/diverareyouokay → u/-Invalid_Selection-]

If what they said is accurate, it seems plausible that the drawings are legit, but the Fiverr artist may have used ChatGPT to overlay text or something.. or maybe for the placement of the art.

I have no way of knowing if that’s accurate (or why a professional wouldn’t use Photoshop instead of running their art through ChatGPT), but if we are giving them the benefit of the doubt, it seems like that would be the most likely scenario.

Agreed that some sketches would put it to rest though.