The AI-generated text and images flooding social media platforms have seeped into the trade show industry, and organizers are fighting back.
The biggest impact is being felt at fan conventions, where AI art has been taking limited vendor space away from “artist alley” creators. The AI creators are also infringing on artists’ intellectual property by training on their work without their consent.
The situation reached a boiling point when organizers of GalaxyCon, the largest geek culture convention organization in North America, reached out to their community in September about the misuse of AI and rolled out a new policy for exhibitors.
“We at GalaxyCon support our artists and understand how their creativity is vital in the structure of our events and world,” said the letter. “Effective immediately, AI-generated artwork is prohibited for any booth. Failure to abide by this rule will result in ejection from the event with no refund given, as well as a ban from any future GalaxyCon, Animate!, Superstar or Nightmare Weekend event.”
“The way artificial intelligence is currently being trained presents many ethical and moral issues that simply can no longer be ignored in our industry,” Mike Broder, Founder and President of GalaxyCon, said. “GalaxyCon has a long, proud history of supporting artists and their creativity, and we will continue to do so as the fight against unethical AI continues.”
Vendor reactions were mixed; some were reassured while others were indifferent. “I get the personal preference, but it’s the future and this type of policy will not last long,” said one anonymous poster on social media.
Also in September, an exhibitor at Atlanta’s Dragon Con was escorted off the show floor by police for violating the show’s policy against selling AI-generated work. The individual had applied for a booth based on human-created work, but organizers discovered she was selling AI-generated images.
Several other large conventions have also introduced bans, including Anime NYC. Comic-Con International, which runs San Diego Comic-Con and WonderCon, allows AI-produced pieces only if they are clearly labeled and not for sale.
Another area where AI slop has infiltrated shows is laser-printed 3-D giveaways, which are marketed in art & handmade craft spaces. So far, this has not become a threat to the promotional products industry, according to Drew Holmgreen, President and CEO of PPAI.
“While we all see the impact of AI, for better or worse, across many mediums, our data does not show that it is negatively affecting the quality of products sourced from promotional products distributors,” he said. “In fact, 78% of leading merch firms say their end buyers are shifting away from low-cost items and toward meaningful keepsakes with longer lifespans and better design.”
To get more events industry news, subscribe to TSE’s free e-newsletter on LinkedIn or through your email.
