This article was originally published on https://www.smithsonianmag.com at this link: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-ai-image-generators-stealing-from-artists-180981488/

of Picasso,” and artificial intelligence tools including DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion can conjure an image for you in seconds. They do so by incorporating elements from the vast libraries of digitally available images and artwork from across the internet that they have been trained on.

But in doing so, are those A.I. tools infringing on the copyrights of the artists behind those images? That question is at the heart of two new lawsuits.

Last week, Seattle-based stock image giant Getty Images announced that it has initiated legal proceedings against Stability AI, the maker of Stable Diffusion. Getty alleges that the company has copied millions of its images and “[chosen] to ignore viable licensing options and long-standing legal protections in pursuit of their stand-alone commercial interests.”

Stability AI was also named as a defendant in a class action lawsuit filed in a United States federal court in San Francisco by three visual artists on behalf of the visual arts community, per Reuters’ Blake Brittain. They say that A.I. image generators “violate the rights of millions of artists,” also naming Midjourney and DeviantArt, an online gallery that has launched its own A.I. tool, as defendants....

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AI software like Midjourney use advanced machine learning techniques, particularly deep neural networks, to generate images from textual descriptions.

These systems are trained on massive datasets of images and corresponding text captions. During training, the networks learn the relationships between words and the visual features they describe.

When generating images, the software takes in a textual prompt and decodes it through the neural network to create corresponding visual elements. The neural network's layers interpret and transform the input, generating image pixel by pixel.

Alternatives to Midjourney, such as DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion, Jasper Art, and others, utilize similar principles, employing neural networks to translate text inputs into visually coherent images.

This process demonstrates the fusion of natural language understanding and image synthesis through AI technologies

When you're learning the business of online marketing, you're going to find a lot of products and endless instructions about what you should be doing to build a lucrative business online.

But very rarely do you see anything about what you should not do.

There's a good reason for this. Many of the very people who are teaching Internet marketing are the ones engaging in bad behavior, so why would they want to shine a light on it?

Only the people who abide by a certain standard of morals and ethics are going to steer you in the right direction about avoiding any complications that could paint you in a bad light and make you look like an unethical or immoral entrepreneur.

Below, you are going to read about seven of the most common behavioral patterns that many marketers utilize in order to make a quick buck off the backs of their customers. This is something you need to know both as a consumer and as a marketer yourself, to ensure that you don't become a victim or a perpetrator.

Stealing Other People's Products and Selling It as Your Own

Imagine you start a business and you work hard brainstorming what you can do to set yourself apart. You learn your craft. You study the needs of the marketplace. You work hard.

You finally launch a product and you’re so proud. Give yourself a little pat on the back for a job well done. Weeks or months later, someone emails you and says, “I think someone else is selling your product as their own.”

How angry would you be? Now you may have been informed that “Everyone does it.” And many people do engage in this type of dirty and unethical behavior. But you want to maintain a good reputation for original work and top quality.

Why would you throw away customer and affiliate relationships by stealing from another person who did all of the work? If you go that route, then you’re no different from an armed thief who walks into a jewelry store and robs them.

You just did it in a virtual space. Stole from the original product creator. The person who spent hours creating the product – who has kids or a family to support. This happens to many product creators.

It’s prevalent with people who steal from others who write private label rights content, who develop software and plugins, who create info product courses and more. Not only will people think you’re a scammer and a thief for selling someone else’s product as your own, but you can get into more trouble, too.

They can send a DMCA to your domain and hosting accounts to have your site taken down for violating their copyright and ownership of the product. The platform you sell on might ban you – so do you really want to go that route? .....

Whether it's putting off doing the laundry, postponing studying for an exam, or delaying a big project, procrastination is a habit that highly impacts your productivity, stress levels, and overall well-being. The costs of procrastination are high. Here are some ways that your procrastination is affecting you.

Decreased Productivity

Procrastination significantly decreases your productivity, making it harder to accomplish your goals and complete tasks on time. In addition, when you put off doing a task, you may end up rushing to complete it at the last minute, leading to errors or subpar results. In fact, procrastination leads to a massive backlog of work that piles up over time, making it even harder to catch up and, ironically, may cause you to put things off even more.

Increased Stress

Procrastination increases your stress levels exponentially. When you put off doing something, you may feel guilty or anxious about it, leading to a cycle of negative emotions. As the deadline approaches, you’ll likely experience even higher levels of stress, leading to health problems such as headaches, stomach aches, and insomnia.

Missed Opportunities

Procrastination causes you to miss out on significant opportunities. For example, when you delay taking action, you may miss a chance to land a new job, earn a promotion, or take advantage of a unique opportunity. Procrastination also causes you to miss important deadlines, such as college applications or tax filings, which has significant consequences.

Decreased Motivation

Procrastination decreases your motivation to complete tasks. When you delay doing something, it’s even harder to start, and due to the stress, you’ll more easily get distracted by other activities. This cycle leads to a lack of motivation and a feeling of being stuck, making it harder to accomplish your goals.

Negative Self-Image

Procrastination also negatively impacts your self-image. For example, when you put off doing something, you’ll feel like you're not living up to your potential or that you're lazy. This self-judgment then leads to a negative self-image and feelings of self-doubt, which impacts your confidence and overall well-being.

Procrastination has significant costs and negative impacts on your life in all areas. But, by educating yourself and building an understanding of the impact of procrastination, it’ll be easier for you to take steps to break the cycle and develop healthy habits that lead to success. Whether it's setting smaller goals, breaking tasks into manageable steps, or seeking support from friends and family, many strategies help you overcome procrastination and achieve your goals.

Procrastination and self-sabotage are closely related concepts that cause significant harm to your personal and professional life. Procrastination is delaying or postponing a task or decision, while self-sabotage is the deliberate or unconscious behavior that prevents you from achieving your goals or living up to your potential.

The Link Between Procrastination and Self-Sabotage

   Procrastination is a form of self-sabotage because it prevents you from achieving your goals and living up to your potential. When you procrastinate, you delay acting on essential tasks or decisions, causing stress, anxiety, and missed opportunities. In addition, procrastination is often a way to avoid facing difficult or uncomfortable situations, such as fear of failure, fear of success, or fear of the unknown.

Common Self-Defeating Behaviors

   Self-sabotage takes many forms, and it's essential to recognize when you're engaging in self-defeating behaviors. Here are some common examples of self-sabotage:   

• Perfectionism -- Setting unrealistic expectations and putting off tasks because you're afraid of making mistakes or not living up to your standards.

• Procrastination -- Delaying tasks and decisions causes stress, anxiety, and missed opportunities.

• Negative self-talk -- Criticizing yourself, doubting your abilities, and undermining your confidence.

• Overcommitting -- Taking on too much and not leaving enough time for self-care or leisure activities.

• Impulsivity -- Acting on impulse without thinking through the consequences.

• Self-medication -- Using drugs, alcohol, or other vices to cope with stress or negative emotions.

Tips for Overcoming Procrastination and Self-Sabotage

   Breaking the cycle of procrastination and self-sabotage is challenging, but it's not impossible.

• Set realistic goals -- Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable tasks that you can complete in a reasonable amount of time.

• Use positive self-talk -- Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts, replace them with positive affirmations and focus on your successes and achievements.
• Prioritize self-care -- Make time for activities that help you relax, recharge, and maintain your physical and emotional well-being.

• Practice mindfulness -- Stay present in the moment and pay attention to your thoughts and emotions without judgment.

• Seek support -- Connect with friends, family, or a therapist who will offer encouragement, advice, and accountability.

• Address underlying issues -- Identify the root causes of your procrastination and self-sabotage and work on resolving them, such as addressing anxiety or perfectionism.

Procrastination and self-sabotage are detrimental to your personal and professional growth, but with awareness and effort, you can break the cycle and achieve your goals.

It begins with setting realistic goals, practicing positive self-talk, prioritizing self-care, practicing mindfulness, seeking support, and addressing underlying issues. When mindful of these things, you will overcome self-defeating behaviors and create a fulfilling and productive life.

Remember that breaking these habits takes time and patience, but with consistency and determination, you will make progress toward your goals and, most importantly, start living the life that you really want.

Becoming your own boss is often touted as a fast track to freedom, financial stability and personal satisfaction. This is a career that gifts you everything in terms of flexibility and income potential.

But it’s not achieved without hard work and perseverance. There is no blueprint (regardless of how many people use the word in the title of their products) that tells you step-by-step everything you need to do to go from broke and worried to thriving with your earnings.

Very rarely has someone come into this business without some sort of need, and it’s often financial in nature. But even if you’re not struggling financially, you might be hoping to make this work so you can say goodbye to the stress of the corporate world – or just maximize your enjoyment in life.

If you’ve been struggling up until today – trying to figure out which business model, niche or tasks to implement to help you achieve your goals, you need to step back and conduct an analysis of what you’ve been doing so you can put yourself on the right path from this moment on.

You have to pinpoint the problems that have plagued you so that you can most past them. There are some common things holding people back in this industry. One is a lack of commitment.

The follow-through most newbies have for projects is dismal. They get excited about the hype of an idea and race out of the gate, only to lose enthusiasm, often from a lack of confidence, and they quit before they see any success.

Some people choose a business model or niche that’s not right for them. If you’re not good at creating an eBook or video course, you either have to take time to learn how to do it, hire someone to do it, or switch to a business model that’s a better fit for you!

That might be affiliate marketing or digital printable downloads. Maybe you decide to become a FBA (Fulfilled By Amazon) entrepreneur or dropshipper. What gets you hooked on Internet marketing isn’t what you have to be stuck with.

There are dozens of business models out there, regardless of how you got interested in this industry. The same goes for niches. You might be a newbie who hung your hat on the idea that the make money online niche was where you’d earn millions.

But if you know nothing about it (or are trying to pursue another niche that you just can’t get excited about), switch gears! There are thousands of niches – broad and narrow – that are just waiting to have someone step in and lead the target audience in a way that only you know how to do.

There are those who refuse to spend any time learning, and instead expect someone to take time out of their busy schedule to walk them through it while holding their hand. Once you get out of school, nobody enjoys the learning process usually, but if you can muster up some enthusiasm or at least determination to spend time learning each day, it will help you in all areas of your business.

What do you need to learn? Learn more about your niche. Learn better copywriting skills. Learn new ways to build a list. Learn how to utilize the different features on all of the social media platforms.

You can learn search engine optimization strategies and email marketing tips. You might learn time management hacks or ways to motivate your subscribers. There’s no end to the amount of tips and hacks you can absorb if you just dedicate a little bit of time each day to elevate your knowledge.

You might not be looking for workarounds, and feel like you’re held back by tools or courses that are too expensive for you to afford – or you don’t understand something, so you feel sidelined.

Sometimes, there’s a free way of doing something that you may not know about. For example, CamStudio is free whereas Camtasia isn’t. So if you felt stuck not being able to edit your videos, there’s a solution within your budget.

You have to be willing to put yourself out there and ask for help. Not everyone will ask you to mortgage your home and pay for a five-figure coaching program. In fact, most of your fellow entrepreneurs are going to answer questions simply because they remember what it was like to feel lost or stuck – and they love helping a go getter!

You may have spread yourself too thin. Ever heard the phrase, “Jack of all trades – master of none?” Don’t be that person! Pick a lane and stay in it. Don’t try too many business models (and two is too many if one isn’t profitable yet).

Don’t start building five niche websites before one is turning a profit, either. You don’t want to water down your focus or your expertise. Content creation takes a lot of time and focusing on building one virtual entity up into a massive authority site is better than putting a little bit on many domains.

Get yourself on a consistent schedule. It doesn’t have to be at the same time every day – but have the same areas mapped out that need to be accomplished. Check emails. Spend time learning. Network.

Develop new content for your blog, social profiles and info products. Research and test things. Don’t waste time looking back and beating yourself up about why you didn’t do it right the first time.

There’s an old proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” The only thing you can control in this journey is what you do today – right now.

So grab the bull by the horns and create the success you deserve. Say goodbye to wishful thinking and engaging in the blame game. Only you can set aside your fears and frustrations and build the kind of business you can be proud of.

Effective decision making involves a systematic approach to identifying and analyzing options and selecting the best course of action. Here are the steps for effective decision making:

1. Identify the problem or opportunity: Clearly define the problem or opportunity that needs to be addressed.

2. Gather information: Collect relevant data and information to help understand the problem or opportunity.

3. Generate potential solutions: Brainstorm and generate a list of potential solutions to the problem or opportunity.

4. Evaluate potential solutions: Analyze and evaluate the potential solutions based on their feasibility, effectiveness, and potential consequences.

5. Select the best solution: Choose the solution that best meets the needs and goals of the organization or situation.

6. Implement the solution: Put the chosen solution into action and make any necessary adjustments as needed.

7. Review and evaluate the results: Monitor and evaluate the results of the chosen solution to determine its effectiveness and identify any areas for improvement.

It is important to remember that the decision-making process is not always linear and may involve revisiting and revising steps as new information becomes available or circumstances change. It is also important to involve the appropriate stakeholders in the decision-making process to ensure that diverse perspectives are considered and to build support for the chosen solution.

Here are a few behaviors that can help individuals develop personal accountability:

1. Taking ownership: Accepting responsibility for one's actions and the outcomes of those actions.

2. Setting clear goals: Defining specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals can help individuals stay focused and motivated to achieve success.

3. Managing time effectively: Being organized and managing one's time effectively can help individuals stay on track and meet their goals and commitments.

4. Communicating openly and honestly: Being transparent and open in communication can help individuals build trust and foster positive relationships with others.

5. Seeking feedback: Asking for feedback and actively seeking opportunities to learn and grow can help individuals improve their skills and performance.

6. Seeking support and resources: Asking for help when needed and utilizing available resources can help individuals stay on track and achieve their goals.

7. Making decisions: Taking charge and making decisions, even when they may not be popular, can help individuals develop their leadership skills and personal accountability.

8. Following through on commitments: Holding oneself accountable for meeting commitments and following through on tasks can help individuals build credibility and trust with others.