What actually disappointed me is how Westerners reacted (I am not talking about the point of view but the reaction itself). I understand why many Westerners are against AI. But it looks like they don't learn from their mistakes. You should know that Japanese fans would protect ZUN. But I don't understand why many Western anti-AI decided to directly confront ZUN. The reaction of Japanese fans is obvious in this situation. Maybe it is a better idea to change tactics? Being overemotional won't help. There is a thing about ZUN using AI about which even many Japanese "supporters" would agree that it is a bad thing. The problem is that many Westerners don't care much about that and not fully understand it. I think I gave enough hints.
I hope this information was useful.
The japanese side who gets to interact with ZUN at various conventions might find him more personable cuz they get to interact with him at real events, so I'd get why they'd have discussions about him in a more understanding way, while most of those overseas (not just the west) don't even get to meet him but experience his work and appreciate all the things that have derived from it : he can pretty much be considered to be a symbol of something else that the regular corpos and entertainment industry doesn't provide rather than just an individual tbh, and the faith and goodwill that ZUN has acquired over the years is getting heavily tested cuz of this recent AI thingy.
Besides, there is something that should be reminded, the crux of this discussion, despite all these interviews and work time reduction talk : we have a very REAL use of AI now, and its for at least a SPELLCARD BACKGROUND. Like I previously said, finding some random stock image can't be that hard on the internet : it's just a matter of handling search engines. Furthermore, the background being hidden behind a shadowy layer + the actual game and its bullets also means that it wouldn't be the priority as far as the player's attention goes, and therefore shouldn't need that much thought from ZUN : we have HUNDREDS of spellcards over the years, how many of their backgrounds do you distinctly recall by memory, without searching for them separately ? The notion that the search for such or such background would take a lot of time therefore seems too unrealistic to me, even moreso if its to be used for a spellcard ...
I would be willing to show much more understanding if the justification was that there weren't satisfactory stock images that could be used as textures for such or such stage background or 3D model, or even to avoid having to put extra work like for the Makai backgrounds brought up in the twitter threads, at which point using AI for getting more customized results would be much more efficient and understandable, but the reality of it is that IN PRACTICE, AI generation WAS USED FOR A SPELLCARD BACKGROUND (that you wouldn't even get to pay much attention to in-game), of all things : was there a serious need to use generative AI even ? How much time would having the AI model generate images over and over until something "satisfactory" came out realistically save, compared to just grabbing some stock jpeg and slapping it in game ? Cuz if its something minor but already requires AI assistance, then its a pretty unflattering look. Besides its not like AI is a guarantee of quality, if you look at the inconsistency plus lack of symmetry in the generated background.
Besides, the justification of AI use is honestly a matter of rhetoric anyway : there will always be arguments to make it sound either good or bad. For me and some others, it's the question of principle (+ where AI will go in the future of this series) that is the worry, not just "duUuUh AI Le bAd, EveRybOdy sAId soOoOO" (the legal, moral, ethic concerns that people bring up can't just be dismissed either). ZUN is not just some other doujin guy, he is the top dog as far as touhou doujin goes : there's the respect and admiration he gets from doing his one-man-team thingy + hard work for so long, plus the fact that wherever he publishes his work, fans can just put theirs as well, meaning that he pretty much determines what's gonna be normal or not : if ZUN gets confortable with AI, what about everyone else, does it become fair game too or will we need to wait until proper limits get chosen for AI use ? Can Tanaka from Tokyo just generate his TH doujin and say that its just a tool that helps his vision be brought to light quickly, then occupy a real physical space in Comiket to sell it ? Is the artistic merits of AI scripting + AI being the messianic tool that bring the art to the masses gonna become a valid talking point going forward ? These are obviously very extreme examples, but kicking the floodgates of AI open brings a lot of additional considerations and concerns, and clear boundaries are gonna be needed fast. Also it's not about doujin in general, it's about touhou doujin and what will fly here, going forward (Buncha stuff restricted in Touhou guidelines is OK for general doujin anyway).
There's definitely a no-AI purist attitude in play as an excacerbating factor in this AI debate here, but regardless it should also be said that the contributions of various creators is not only Touhou's lifeblood but also what made it what it is, and their involvement is not just because of appreciation of various aspects of the series but also ZUN, the creator : AI already puts artists on edge these day (you'll see the odd "not to be used for AI training" in artworks occasionally), due to reason that's pretty much talked about, not to mention the various people who increasingly beccome less favorable to AI due to various reasons.
At this point, I pretty much expect AI generated backgrounds to be a mainstay going forward, but I hope AI (specifically generative AI) and its acceptable role get properly defined boundaries soon-ish, and doesn't get to play a more prevalent role in the future. Anyway, realistically, I think that the reasonable expectation for AI going forward is that it won't to play a much bigger role in the creative process, but at the same time, the willingness to rely on AI has already made its mark, hope it doesn't encroach in the wrong places ...
