Melanated AI: Celebrating AI Arts and Melanated Creatives!

By Gaby M Rojas

A new online marketplace, Melanated AI (www.melanated.ai), is dedicated to celebrating and supporting the work of AI artists and creators of color. This unique platform allows these artists to sell their art as digital downloads, prints, canvas, or non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a digital asset that represents ownership of a unique item, such as a digital artwork. They have become an increasingly popular medium for artists and collectors in the digital art world, allowing for the creation and trade of unique, verifiable digital items.

NFTs offer a new avenue for artists to monetize their work and reach new audiences. By selling their artwork as NFTs, artists can potentially earn a higher price for their work, as collectors are willing to pay a premium for the uniqueness and authenticity of the piece. This can be particularly valuable for emerging AI artists who may not have a large following or established reputation.

Currently there is a debate on the ownership of AI artwork since its generated by crafting text prompt sand feeding them into software. The question of ownership in the context of AI artwork is a complex and often debated topic. On one hand, AI artwork is created using algorithms and software, which raises questions about the extent to which the artist can claim ownership of the final product. On the other hand, many AI artists argue that they play a significant role in the creative process and should be recognized as the creators of the work. Overall, the debate over ownership in the context of AI artwork is ongoing, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, by taking an active role in the creative process and using their own original content as input, AI artists can assert their ownership of the work and claim a significant part of the creation.

Melanated AI was founded with the goal of increasing representation and visibility for AI artists and creators of color within the art world. It is a place where these artists can showcase their talent and reach new audiences, while also monetizing their work.

The platform features a diverse range of art styles and mediums, including digital illustrations, graphic design, and 3D modeling. Customers can browse and purchase artwork by theme, style, or artist, making it easy to discover new talent.

Melanated AI is also committed to educating the public about the role of AI in art and creativity. The platform will also host regular events and workshops featuring AI artists and experts.

“We are thrilled to launch Melanated AI, a platform that celebrates and supports the work of AI artists and creators of color,” says Aquarius Maximus (aka Technologist Tavonia Evans), Founder of Melanated AI. “We believe that representation and diversity in the art world is crucial, and we are excited to offer a space for these talented artists to share their work and connect with new audiences.”

Excerpt From Ebony Magazine

"Stock image sites have all too often missed the mark in covering the full diversity that comes with us (BIPOC and Black People in general), and so much time is wasted combing through thousands of images to try and find exactly what's needed to sell a visual direction,.AI has allowed us to level that playing field in such an amazing way. We are able to forgo those barriers with AI and create the exact imagery needed for visions or selling a direction, and it's been life-changing and a breath of fresh air. That's one reason AI is important—we are able to put out into the world, visions of us as we know and see ourselves in areas we have been denied from for generations."

SHAUN HARRISON

Everyone from Chance the Rapper to Pose's MJ Rodriguez have been seen posting the avatar-like portraits on their feeds using a new feature created by Lensa called magic avatar, which launched Nov. 21. Shaun Harrison went viral prior to the release with a series of images he designed for an idea he had for a new Marvel TV show called Bashenga: The First Black Panther.