Bravo! Backlash against AI convinces San Diego Comic Con to ban it completely from their art show

[highplainsdem]

Second piece of good news about AI today. First was Bandcamp banning music made with AI: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143598784

Where matters stood originally with San Diego Comic Con:

https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-ai-art-show/

San Diego Comic-Con under fire for allowing AI at 2026’s Art Show
The convention's organizers stated AI-generated pieces may be displayed but not sold at this year's Art Show.

By Christopher Chiu-Tabet -01/14/2026

Comic Con International, the organization behind the storied San Diego Comic-Con, has come under criticism for allowing AI-generated pieces to be exhibited at this year’s Art Show. Their website states AI pieces can be displayed, but not sold at the auction, which will be held during this year’s convention from Thursday, July 23, to Sunday, July 26.

According to the official guidance from the show, here’s the rule:
Material produced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be placed in the show, but only as Not-for-Sale (NFS). It must be clearly marked as AI-produced, not simply listed as a print. If one of the parameters in its creation was something similar to “Done in the style of ,” that information must be added to the description. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability.

Unsurprisingly, comics industry professionals are less than impressed, and many have taken to social media to voice their frustration with the policy.

Artist Karla Ortiz responded, “Comic-Con should be a celebration of illustrators, comic artists, writers and so on. Elevating the actual craftsmen and women who make the works that fans love! Instead it opens the door to slop that can only exist due to the stolen work of those same creatives, to then displace creatives. Gross!” She implored fans to share their objections to the Art Show coordinator’s email address, artshow[at]comic-con[dot]org, or via their social media.

-snip-

And now, after that backlash:

San Diego Comic-Con will no longer allow AI 'art' to be displayed at their event

"Material created by AI either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show"

This follows backlash from artists after SDCC initially indicated AI-generated work would be permitted

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@culturecrave.co) 2026-01-14T22:45:13.232Z

Comment on this from science fiction writer John Scalzi:

It's genuinely confusing why, over and over again, organizations that cater to, or are dependent upon, artists writers and creators decide to absolutely fucking enrage their constituency with "AI," only to be required to backtrack after considerable loss of goodwill

— John Scalzi (@scalzi.com) 2026-01-14T23:55:23.601Z

Left is what it originally said, right is what it says now

Website was quietly updated overnight

h/t @kortizart.bsky.social

www.comic-con.org/cc/things-to...

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@culturecrave.co) 2026-01-14T22:47:05.119Z

[SheltieLover]

1. Excellent!

[mucholderthandirt]

2. It's not enough. Not nearly enough. Should be banned altogether.

If some moron wants to buy it, all they have to do is set it up with the moron that put it up. Not that hard to do, and it lets Comic Con look like they're doing something to protect creatives. Which they are not. Creative people are suffering over this "AI" nonsense, in all fields, art and writing especially.

And no, "AI" is not just a fucking tool. It's theft and cheating.

[highplainsdem]

3. That Comic Con is banning it completely. The display-but-can't-sell rule was the initial plan, which

was scrapped after protests.

One of the Bluesky posts above, with images of the original rules and what they were changed to.

Left is what it originally said, right is what it says now

Website was quietly updated overnight

h/t @kortizart.bsky.social

www.comic-con.org/cc/things-to...

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@culturecrave.co) 2026-01-14T22:47:05.119Z