Is paying artists enough to convince them to embrace AI?

Illustrators have long objected to generative AI startups training their models on artists' work without permission, viewing it as theft. A new AI startup is attempting to address these concerns by implementing a business model where artists are directly compensated each time a subscriber generates content derived from their artistic style. The startup's cofounders argue this approach demonstrates that AI companies can operate ethically and may help convince skeptical artists to accept the technology. However, the company still relies on the same underlying models as other competitors in the space.