Statement on use of AI imagery

Yeah, most of the images on the website are AI generated (my face being one notable exception, or at least I hope it is, as I would be quite distressed to find out that my own existence is just an AI simulation!)

The use of such AI imagery isn't ideal and I accept such usage can be divisive. Apart from the issues that such imagery is always a little bit not quite right (and a lottle bit bland), it's also hard not to accept there are serious questions over the fairness towards the work of the talented illustrators that the AI engines scraped'.

However, the pragmatic reality is that the images do provide an added visual dimension that lifts the website from just being a list of titles. Since my own drawling skills never really moved beyond crayoning in between the lines (and I once got told off for how badly I managed that!) - and since I don't have the funds to pay for a professional illustrator, there's a compromise to be made.

On this, I've taken the view that if unless a story of mine receives a level of income sufficient to pay a professional illustrator their fee whilst earning at least a similar amount for myself, then AI imagery usage is within the bounds of acceptable fairness, as a placeholder.

However, I appreciate others may feel the distinction is artificial and may - justifiably - have a different view.