In the midst of heated discourse about the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on society, Nicki Minaj’s fanbase – the “Barbz” – utilized AI image generators to represent “Gag City” and hype up the new single “Press Play”. This move proved divisive and has faced criticism from artists and creatives who argue that Minaj is enabling the unethical use of data – now, even the artist weighed in.
The (over)use of AI in various industries and personal interests has been put under a microscope these past months. OpenAI, the company behind the popular large language model ChatGPT, is in the midst of a lawsuit from The New York Times. That controversy prompted U.S. lawmakers to have more serious discussions regarding AI regulation and licensing training content.
Del Walker posted a critical response on X (formerly Twitter) to Nicki Minaj’s tweet showcasing AI-generated images to promote her album “Pink Friday 2” and her collaboration with Future for the single “Press Play.
Hi Nicki Minaj. Nice of you to Retweet me. I hope you understand that by promoting Ai generated images, which are scraping my industry's artwork illegally- you are undermining our craft. It also opens up precedent to normalize Ai generated versions of Your songs and voice. Thanks
— Del Walker 🇵🇸 (@TheCartelDel) January 13, 2024
Walker is a Senior Artist at Naughty Dog with notable contributions to games such as Batman Arkham, Warframe, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
His critique of Minaj sharing AI-generated imagery echoes the general sentiment regarding the use of datasets infringing works from various artists, designers, and creators without proper credit or compensation.
Minaj responded by intensifying her AI posting, and retweeted Walker’s critical post on her official X feed. Despite the expected support from Minaj’s Barbz fanbase justifying her dismissiveness, artists on the platform pointed out an apparent inconsistency – a previous tweet thread where Minaj condemned the unethical use of AI to exploit the voices of music artists without proper licensing.
The timeline of this debacle began when Nicki Minaj announced her forthcoming album, adopting an unusual approach by unveiling the album cover months ahead of its release. The cover featured Minaj standing on a neon-pink subway platform against a cityscape with pink clouds.
Expressing her anticipation for the December 2023 album release on X.com, Minaj shared, “As we begin to prepare for landing, please make sure your tray tables are put back up & your seat belts are tightly fastened. The captain has activated the ‘no bathroom’ sign. If you look out the window, you’ll begin to see the beauty… clear waters, pink dolphins… #GagCity #PF2.”
For context, the term “Gag City” originates from the LGBTQ+ community, symbolizing being so astonished that one is left speechless.
Grateful for the support from her fans, Minaj stated, “I love you guys so much. I am so grateful for the years of support & love you guys have given me. At times maybe I didn’t even deserve all that you have poured into me. Nonetheless, you. will. love. this. album.” While hinting at an upcoming tour in the first quarter of 2024, she promised to reveal the full album cover at a later date.
“Pink Friday 2” was released on December 8, 2023, marking Minaj’s return with her first album in five years, excluding the re-release of her debut mixtape, “Beam Me Up Scotty.” The album cover’s futuristic and vibrant aesthetic inspired a surge of excitement among fans, leading to the sharing of AI-generated images of Gag City on social media platforms like X and Facebook.
While the Barbz largely support Minaj’s actions, claiming that sharing AI-generated images is harmless, artists and creators argue that such behavior normalizes the exploitation of creative works – against which we’re already fighting an uphill battle.
Notable figures like Karla Ortiz, a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against prominent AI-image generators like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, have expressed concern. Ortiz stated in a tweet regarding Minaj’s actions, “It harms creators that such a star is elevating exploitative tech throwing artists under the bus.”
Promotional work IS commercial. GenAI is featured all over Nicki Minaj’s site. Its also a marketing campaign. That’s work that could’ve gone to photographers, vfx, illustrators etc. It harms creators that such a star is elevating exploitative tech throwing artists under the bus. https://t.co/FepGVx8exd
— Karla Ortiz (@kortizart) January 14, 2024
With controversies and issues surrounding AI becoming increasingly visible to the public, is the timing of Nicki Minaj’s pivot and apparent support of AI-generated content and its exploitative nature be ill-advised?
