Since early 2023, photographer Jingna Zhang and her team have been working to protect 1.5 million artists on their platform Cara. But despite their efforts, Cara has suffered multiple major scrapes, with one individual even uploading 12 million works to a Reddit forum, claiming it was just a 'fun project'.
Interestingly, the same person later apologised and agreed to collaborate with Zhang on a new tool to help artists. Yet, while Cara works to defend itself, other scrapers continue to exploit the platform's vulnerabilities, prompting Zhang to launch a GoFundMe for legal fees.
Despite her frustrations, Zhang remains committed to providing a safe space for artists. 'We have done the right things within limits without making it horrible to use,' she says. But the battle is far from over as Cara faces ongoing attacks and the threat of Big Tech’s unchecked data harvesting.
Meanwhile, the incident highlights the broader issue of artists’ rights and the ethical considerations of AI training. It’s a stark reminder that the fight for digital preservation and artist protection is far from over.
