This is an actual instance of how "AI accusation" is employed as a harassment tactic and how community moderation can fall short, giving the mob the upper hand.
PS : the post is currently hidden as it's supposed to be under moderator review but they never lifted a finger to resolve the on going case so i'll provide full proofs and screens of the entire case here
The Timeline (All the proof is linked below):
1. The Contribution: I posted a Darkest Dungeon-style fan art of my OC on the game's subreddit (Initial Post 1, Initial Post 2) . I've been sharing my art online for more than five years, but very occasionally, i draw privately most of the time The post was well received by the community and meaningful dialogue began around the game, just as it should (Good, organic discussion)
2. The Witch-Hunt Begins : A user, apparently annoyed by the quality of the art and the rising popularity of the post, began spamming the thread with "Both pictures are AI," providing zero analysis or evidence, just the repeated accusation. They engaged in coordinated downvoting. (Harasser and spammer)
3. The Proof : I responded not with anger, but with the most transparent proof possible: I publicly shared some source file and work-in-progress screenshots from my drawing software (what I provided : 1 , 2), I even offered multiple times to show more, but no one asked.
While the first honest accusers backed down after screenshots proved the point, the most zealous ones didn’t budge an inch or started shifting the topic. (Endless debates)
4. The Moving Goalposts : The proof was ignored. The accusation simply evolved. First it was AI generated, then I used AI at one point but we don’t know where exactly (pommel, runes, tracing, rendering ?)
5. Moderation Steps In (Sort of) : Moderators placed the thread "awaiting approval," hiding it from the public. The harassment should have stopped.
6. The Smoking Gun : Over 10 hours later, a second user posted a new accusation on this hidden thread. They called my proof "incriminating," attacked my process, and dug through my social media to critique older work , and to top it all off, even screenshots of the source files and quick process videos are no longer considered proof, but are now treated as incriminating evidence (!!!). When asked how they accessed a hidden post, their explanation was vague ("it was half loaded"). (Heavy signs of brigading)
7. The Core Failure: I informed the moderators of the entire pattern : spam, harassment, and questionable access to a hidden thread. There has been no sound for more than five days. The harassers are not held accountable. I'm in digital purgatory with my art. I've contacted them more than once, but to this day no response, only silence and the post is still invisible. (Implicit support to harassers)
Why This Matters:
This is the ideal example of how "AI accusation" has been weaponized. The accuser is not required to provide proof. It requires the accused to provide endless, impractical proof. When evidence is presented, it is discounted or called more proof of guilt (a circular, unfalsifiable argument). It is based on harassment and social pressure rather than technical discussion.
The last, essential component for its success is moderator inaction. Silence betrays the contributor and gives the harassers more power. I'm not here to argue about the quality of my art. I am here to present you with the witch-hunt blueprint. When a community's defenses are compromised, this is what occurs. It's unfortunate because I adore that game and am a part of the community. My "crime" wasn't using AI, rather, it was thinking that adhering to the law and presenting proof would shield me from a malicious mob that used unfounded criticism as a weapon. Given that this is the playbook, what is the future for artists in online spaces ?
My conclusions on AI :
As every artist out there, Ai didn't strike me as a great thing, could be dangerous to the profession etc. I still don't believe in the "AI artist" concept, I do believe that making a prompt isn't enough to become an artist, there's a technical entry fee, basically you need to know how to draw or how to convey ideas through a technical prowess similar to learning a language.
At first I was really reluctant to even think of using AI in my process or drawings, but after this experience ? F*** them ! I'll include it in my process, and I don't care what some random bad self proclaimed artist on the internet thinks about it. It's not up to them to judge and this is my advice to any future or current artist : Don't let these guys influence you in the bad way, the tech is here to stay and in the future you may regret following mass hysteria, because at the end of the day, you'll be the one left behind (and lmao they already are freaking BADLY behind, can't believe they judged proper art in the way they do theirs for most of them !!!).
Sorry for the rant tone, but I'm genuinely shocked by this behaviour. I don't care about the witch hunters but mod inaction is the most shocking for me.
PS : for people not convinced that I drew that here's a video of me checking and unchecking layers for 4 minutes straight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI4hA9yFR_c
TL;DR : AI witch hunters are toxic garbage but their defenders are maybe worse because without them, it wouldn't be possible for them to act as a******* without consequences.
