The AI industry is experiencing a major transformation. While the number of AI image and video generation tools continues to grow—recently, Google, OpenAI, and Krea announced new offerings—many artists and photographers are voicing their concerns about their work being used to train AI models without compensation or permission. Some have even filed class-action lawsuits against AI companies like Stability AI and Midjourney.
In response, a new platform for creators, Wirestock, aims to bridge the gap between artists and AI companies. This platform empowers photographers and artists to upload their work and license it through leading image services, including Getty, Adobe Stock, and Canva. Additionally, artists can permit AI companies to train on their work in exchange for payment.
"All major AI players are quickly shifting to ethically licensed content," Wirestock CEO Mikayel Khachatryan stated during a recent media call. "This is driven by legal pressures and the practical need for reliable data."
Payments for artists licensing their work for AI training range from small microtransactions to $15-20 per artwork based on specific needs. "It's a lucrative source of revenue for artists, and they enjoy participating," Khachatryan added.
Origin Story: Streamlining Payments for Creatives
Founded in 2019 by Khachatryan and his co-founders Ashot Mnatsakanyan, Vladimir Khoetsyan, and Hovhannes Kuloghlyan, Wirestock began as a one-stop platform for photographers to publish their work across various stock image services.
"We built Wirestock to simplify the process for artists and ensure they receive fair compensation," Khachatryan explained. The platform allows creators to upload work once, automatically tagging it for numerous marketplaces and streamlining compliance with individual requirements.
Wirestock manages payments to artists, retaining a 15% commission on sales through partner agencies and a 30% commission on direct sales.
AI Presents a New Opportunity
As generative AI technology expanded, the founders identified a unique opportunity to support both AI developers and their community of over 500,000 creators in 140 countries.
"Companies often struggle to find the precise data needed for their AI projects. Wirestock addresses this by sourcing diverse visual content at scale," Khachatryan explained.
Wirestock simplifies workflows for generative AI companies by providing a vast collection of vetted, ready-to-use visual content, complete with automated metadata, keywords, and captions. This streamlining is crucial for the machine learning processes that train AI models to recognize specific features in images.
While Khachatryan did not disclose specific clients due to confidentiality agreements, he noted that "the biggest companies developing foundational models" are among Wirestock's customers. Currently, around 300,000 creators from the community have benefitted from AI dataset licensing deals.
Creative Challenges
Wirestock also conducts time-sensitive "creative challenges," offering paid projects that diversify income streams for artists. These challenges provide cash prizes for creators who submit work that meets specific client needs.
For instance, a current challenge invites submissions reflecting "Space Exploration," with cash prizes of $25, $15, and $10 for the top three entries. Participants are given guidelines to ensure that submissions meet quality standards.
Khachatryan remarked, "Artists love participating in these projects as they provide excellent monetization opportunities."
AI Training on AI-Generated Art?
Wirestock allows creators to upload AI-generated works—a practice some criticize as "copyright laundering," given that AI training data may include copyrighted materials. While Wirestock encourages users to label AI-generated content, it ultimately leaves the decision of content authenticity to the creators.
"We ask our artists to use models that operate on ethically trained data," Khachatryan said, although the platform does not restrict submissions from models that may scrape copyrighted materials.
Where Wirestock Goes Next
Khachatryan highlighted the increasing demand for video content to support emerging AI video generation models, creating new revenue streams for visual creators. "AI companies are seeking to license video clips, which is becoming a substantial part of our business," he noted.
With a commitment to ethical AI training and fair artist compensation, Wirestock aspires to lead in the realm of ethical AI data. As evidenced by the enthusiastic participation of artists and creators, the platform is paving the way for a fairer collaboration between creatives and AI technology.
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