I keep finding my images on AI-slop Pinterest accounts and I am sick of it.
Multiple times over the past months, I have been scrolling Pinterest and come across photos of myself and my knitted shorts with text such as ‘10 free knitted shorts patterns’ or ‘Free crochet shorts patterns’ superimposed on top. The account is always an AI-slop ‘crafting’ account which states it is for the knitting and crochet community and wants to make crafting accessible. The accounts have millions of monthly views, likes and interactions. I see other stolen photos from designers on these accounts too and honestly I am just baffled!!
I have tried reporting the accounts and pins and so far I am still waiting on Pinterest’s review process (I’m not confident anything will eventuate). I have reached out to the account holders when they have Instagram linked in their bio and immediately get blocked.
I really cannot comprehend how people are engaging with this kind of content, let alone creating it. I’m not sure if these accounts are selling bootleg versions of my pattern, as I only just released it and have been seeing these posts for months. The links on the posts always go to some random, ad-choked blog or something completely unrelated, but always use my image to promote it and seemingly suggest that my shorts are a free pattern you can access via their site.
To be honest it just feels really icky. It is super creepy to come across images of yourself online that other people have used AI to ‘enhance’ and promote whatever it is they are trying to promote. I know this is a topic which is frequently talked about, but I needed to complain about it to people who have the same exasperation with AI-slop images and these types of accounts in crafting spaces as I do.
The photos are screenshots from the most recent account I have come across, and the last photo is my original one for reference.