“I really hate generative AI”, says Procreate CEO

James Cuda, CEO of the graphics editing app Procreate, has recently stated that the company has no plans to introduce generative AI tools in its line of products. In a video posted on Procreate’s official X account, Cuda publicly stated his stance on AI-generated art, saying, “I really hate generative AI. I don’t like what’s happening in the industry, and I don’t like what it’s doing to our artists.”
“We are not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products,” said Cuda in the video. He then went on to say that Procreate’s products are “always designed and developed with the idea that a human will be creating something”. He said that to him, the use of generative AI in art goes against the idea of human-made creation. 
Additionally, on the ‘AI’ section on their official website, Procreate claims, “AI is not our future”, with the tagline: “Creativity is made, not generated.” The section then goes on to explain that generative AI is responsible for “ripping humanity out of things” and that it is “built on a foundation of theft”. Continued use of generative AI, according to Procreate, will lead to “a barren future” and the path it is on is “wrong for us”.
Launched in 2011, Procreate is a fan-favourite among artists and designers thanks to its popular digital illustration tools. It became one of the top ten best-selling iPad apps in 2016, rising to the top two and eventually the top one spot in 2017 and 2018 respectively. However, as many companies rush to integrate AI into their products, Procreate is choosing a radically different path.
As per an article on Verge, Procreate, unlike its competitors Adobe Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint, remains dedicated to a one-time purchase model priced at $12.99. This pricing strategy, coupled with their recent expansion into animation tools and plans for a desktop version, has helped Procreate create a solid reputation among artists, as per The Verge.
The creative community’s concerns about generative AI are not new. Many artists and creators fear that AI models, which are often trained on their work without permission or compensation, could lead to a significant reduction in employment opportunities. This has led some illustrators to seek alternatives to popular tools that have begun integrating AI features, such as Adobe Photoshop. 
Procreate’s stance seems to be a stark contrast to these trends. As Cuda put it in his video, “We believe that we are on the right path supporting human creativity.” This message is likely to resonate with many in the creative community who feel that the increasing reliance on AI is eroding the value of their work.