At this year’s Dragon Con, an “artist” was kicked out of Artist Alley after being caught selling AI-generated art. After complaints from fellow artists and closer scrutiny by staff, it became clear the art being sold hadn’t been created by a human. The vendor was asked to leave – escorted out by police – and the decision was reportedly met with applause from those present.
While it might sound dramatic, this was the right call – and an important one.
Dragon Con has always been a place to celebrate creativity. And Artist Alley is special because it’s not just a place to buy prints: it allows fans the chance to meet creators face-to-face, talk about their work, and take home something that carries a piece of the artist with it. That’s the whole point – you’re supporting a person, not just buying an art piece. When someone tries to sneak in AI-generated art, it breaks the trust of that relationship.
It’s also an insult to the real artists who make these spaces thrive, putting their blood, sweat, and tears into each of their creations. AI art is generated based on massive datasets that often include real artists’ work, usually scraped without permission. So when someone sells AI art, it’s not just “fast” or “efficient.” It’s built on stolen labor. That’s not innovative or creative, it’s just exploitation.
Fans don’t come to Dragon Con to buy something churned out by a machine, they come to support human imagination. By removing the vendor, Dragon Con sent a clear message: Artist Alley is for artists. And in a world where AI is creeping into every corner of creativity, that stand matters.
