Thoughts on the future of r/ThumbnailArtists
Hey guys, just want to pop through and discuss my thoughts on the state of this subreddit and get the community’s thoughts as well.
I originally made this subreddit to create a place for hand-drawn thumbnail artists to share their creations/experiences, network, and maybe get gigs too! It was radio silence for a while as I asked artists to share their work here. Once a few Hiring posts were made though, the Looking for Work posts increased steadily. Photoshop artists started sharing their work here, so I kept letting them through to keep the subreddit more active.
r/ThumbnailArtists has always been an anti-AI community. But, as more and more thumbnail creators are using AI in their workflows, it’s increasingly difficult for me as a solo moderator to identify generative AI usage and remove it from the subreddit. When these creators are banned from the community, I end up arguing with them in Modmail to justify my own community’s rules.
I don’t want to moderate a community that accepts AI work. I would sooner delete the subreddit than allow generative AI work. My question is though, should the subreddit remain as is, or should it be steered back in the direction of hand-drawn thumbnails? Should that definition be expanded to allow 3D rendered thumbnails for niches like Brawlstars and Minecraft?
I’d love some opinions from the community before making a final decision. I don’t know that this current moderation process is sustainable, so if the subreddit remains as is, I may need to add to the mod team.