Like so other many large issues that seem inevitable and insurmountable, the answer lies with you. I know it's completely corny, but "Only YOU can prevent forest fires".
You can do so much to make a difference! Here's how:
Find an artist you love, and buy directly from them or from one of their galleries. First, you may want to ask them if they use AI for any part of their process, so you can follow your conscience and comfort level with their practices. For example, I know of an artist who get imagery from prompting Chat GPT, and then uses that image as a reference photo for his paintings.
Try to stick to original artwork. Many artists offer smaller. more affordable works that are original if your budget is limited. An original you love is worth saving up for! In this age of instant gratification, sometimes I forget how much more I value something when I have to wait for it/ save up for it. Most artists (including me) will allow for some kind of layaway or payment plan if you ask them directly.
Realize that just telling artists that you hope they will be OK won't do anything tangibly helpful.
Yes, you are a caring and compassionate person. I doubt other kinds of people would bother reading this. There are a lot of situations in life where offering an encouraging word is the only thing you can do. This is not one of those situations.
Take political action. Contact your state representatives and let them know you want legislation for AI to not use anyone's artwork (or writing) images to train AI unless the artist opts in. Currently, there's not even a universal opt-out for this! (It might help to familiarize yourself with how AI works first.)
Leave social media. I realize this is a big ask for a lot of folks. Did you know that everything you have posted on social media can be used by the platform for training AI? This is also true of Google. I have been free of social media since 2020, and I'm less anxious and making better art and more real connections because of it. (I don't consider Youtube to be social media- I use it to learn new things, and never read comments.) I'm meeting more and more people who have backed away from social media. This could be it's own blog post!
Breathe and Relax. You have so much more power for good than you realize. So far, AI isn't physically breaking into studios of artists and physically taking over their process. "They" (big tech in AI) have NOT taken away my passion of creating, teaching, or physically showing art.
Tell/ask your friends about your favorite local artists! You could create a meaningful community of local art enthusiasts. Gather a group of friends and visit galleries or art markets with intentions of spending a minimum amount. There are probably galleries in your area that hold a group show of small works throughout the year, and especially around the holidays.
Those are my ideas at the top of my head. I would love to hear your ideas and add to this list!
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