I’m posting this here because I’ve already tried reporting items and complaining on social media and nothing is ever done about this problem; Folksy has AI art creeping in at every opportunity.
I just want to point out that I’m a buyer and NOT a seller, and I keep running into awful AI products on this site. It’s getting very distressing. Sellers that are doing this are well aware of what they are doing and try to hide the fact by using terms such as “digital art”.
AI art is soulless and flawed. An art lover such as myself who already spends countless hours dodging AI art can spot it a mile away.
I want to know why this problem is being ignored. The guidelines about what you are allowed to sell CLEARLY state that AI is NOT allowed, so why do so many sellers feel the need to sell that rubbish here anyway?? Why ruin the Folksy ethos?? I really had high hopes for this place but it took me about 1 minute of browsing to come across AI art and I felt like I may as well be at Etsy.
Surely someone here actually gives a damn about this issue?
Thanks for taking the time to write this, and we’re really sorry to hear how your experience has been on Folksy.
You’re absolutely right that AI-generated artwork isn’t allowed on Folksy. Our guidelines are clear on this because the heart of Folksy is about celebrating genuine creativity and skill, and we know how important that is to both buyers and sellers.
Where it can get tricky is that not all digital artwork is AI-generated, and it isn’t always immediately obvious from a listing alone. When something is reported, we have a process we must follow. We often need to look more closely and sometimes contact the seller to check how the work was created before we can take action. This back and forth, as well as factoring in that Folksy is run by a small team, can mean there’s a delay, which understandably makes it look like nothing is happening.
We don’t want AI art on the site, and it certainly isn’t something we’re ignoring. Reports really do help us spot and investigate listings more quickly, and we remove items when they’re found to break our rules.
I’m genuinely sorry that you’ve come across listings that have undermined your trust in Folksy - that’s the opposite of what we want. Please know that protecting the ethos of handmade, artist-led work does matter to us, and we appreciate you speaking up about it.
If you’d like to discuss this matter with us more directly, please email support@folksy.co.uk.
