Artists concerned AI use leads to fewer commissions

Independent artists have said that finding work in the era of AI "is a struggle".

Artificial Intelligence has rippled through the creative industries, so Berkshire-based Luke Crump and Emi Giovanini have opened a month-long exhibition for people to enjoy their art free of charge.

Giovanini said that before AI she would get a lot of commissions for logos and flyers but that "since AI came all the people, especially with low budgets, try [using AI]" instead, taking work away from local creatives.

She has had to find different ways to earn an income, but said: "AI will never take away things from us 100% because we are still people.

"We're still humans, and it's art made by humans.

"AI can't replicate someone creating a mirror, for example, which is something that we do a lot."

While showcasing their art in the community is important, it includes hidden costs such as the rent for the venue or the commission charged by venues.

Crump said that when he and Giovanini were looking for a venue for the Monsters and Mischief exhibition "you start to look behind the nice facade".

"The white walls and things like that, you quickly realise that they can take a lot, and sometimes up to 50%, which is a lot for a small independent artist," he added.

The Bracknell couple found Other Space Arts, a non-profit community interest company venue that hosts independent artists and musicians.

Based in Windsor, it was opened by Matt Flemming and his wife in 2025 for small artists to use their space.

Flemming said: "For the exhibitions, we always give the artists completely free hire of the space. We just ask for a small 10% commission back on any work sold."

He said AI can be "a wonderful tool in certain aspects".

But added that with it becoming more of a concern to the creative industry, spaces like Other Space Arts become "more important" because "what AI can't do is create connections amongst humans".

Dominic Lees, associate professor at the University of Reading and specialist adviser to the Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee at a House of Commons inquiry into British film and high-end television, said: "The AI industry has got this original sin.

"They've already stolen from the creative industry."

He said that when companies were training their AI models "they were sending bots out onto the internet to scrape anything they wanted, including copyrighted material, made by creative artists and using that to train their models".

Lees said that it has led to artists "competing against their own AI-generated images".

He added that the UK has a good copyright regime but "with AI, there's no enforcement of that.

"Even when AI companies are breaching copyright, there's no mechanism to force them to give compensation or to force them to retract," he said.

A DCSM spokesperson said the government has engaged "extensively" with creatives and AI firms to ensure that they take the "right approach to this issue".

They added: "Copyright laws must protect the UK's position as a creative powerhouse while unlocking the extraordinary potential of AI-driven innovation to grow the economy and improve lives."