Exactly.AI Raises $4 Million to Democratize AI Art Generation Through Artist-Controlled Models
London based AI startup Exactly.AI has raised $4 million in seed funding to further develop their platform that aims to put creative control of AI generated art back in the hands of artists.
Exactly.AI allows creative professionals like visual artists, graphic designers and illustrators to train their own personalized AI models using samples of their previous work. Once trained on an artist’s unique style, the model can then generate new images within that style on demand.
What sets Exactly.AI apart from other AI art generators is that the platform only trains models using data directly provided by the artist who then maintains full ownership over any works produced. By uploading a portfolio of their artwork to the platform, artists can effectively teach the AI their signature technique and aesthetic preferences.
The founding team believes this provides a more ethical approach to AI art generation by avoiding potential issues around artists’ intellectual property that other open-ended tools have faced criticism over. No artwork is used without the creator’s consent and artists retain commercial rights to any AI assisted creations.
The funding was led by European VC firm Speedinvest with participation also from InReach Ventures, Cornerstone VC and GuruDev Capital. Speedinvest Partner Julian Blessin commented “Exactly.AI represents a groundbreaking step forward for the creative arts sector. They will harness the power of technology but do so in a way that democratizes and enriches our cultural landscape.”
Exactly.AI CEO Tonia Samsonova aims to shift AI art tools from being purely tools of mass production to platforms that empower individual artists. With the new round of funding, the company will further expand their library of artist-controlled AI models and enhance core product capabilities. How AI can augment human creativity while respecting intellectual property looks set to be an ongoing discussion, and Exactly.AI seeks to lead with an ethically-focused solution.