Market alters application rules after AI complaints

The organisers of an arts market in Leeds have amended the application process after visitors complained about the amount of AI-generated art on sale at a recent trading event.

It is the first time the Alternative Market, which has been running since 2017 and receives hundreds of applications from potential vendors, has faced complaints about AI, say organisers.

After more than 100 comments appeared on Reddit after the event on Saturday, organisers at the Leeds Festival of Gothica have promised to engage with the community about the issue of AI-generated art.

The market, which took place at Leeds Kirkgate, included more than 100 traders of antiques, fashion, homeware and art.

"When viewing applicants, we are unfortunately only able to make our decisions based off of photographs and social media submitted by the vendors themselves. This can sometimes mean surprises along the way," a spokesperson said.

Organisers say that, from now on, they will ask those registering for a spot to declare any use of AI and where they have used it in their products - to enable the team make informed decisions.

"At Leeds Festival of Gothica [LFOG], we cherish creativity and value honesty. All of our captions are scribed by our team and all of our artwork is hand-illustrated by resident artist Midnight Vipers," the spokesperson said.

"This human touch is what allows us to curate a uniquely LFOG experience, and is not something we will be sacrificing as we continue to offer these events, which have become beloved amongst the community."

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