Leaked File Shows the Thousands of Artists Midjourney Has Allegedly Used to Train Its AI Models

It’s no surprise to hear that AI image generators rely on the work of real human beings to churn out content at blink-fast rate. But exactly which artists? According to reports, a Google Sheet revealed via X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky contained a list of thousands of artists, time periods, styles, genres and techniques that Midjourney has allegedly been mining for its services.

Names include Yayoi Kusama, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon, Banksy, HR Giger, and countless others. Even outside the traditional realms of art, card and video games like Magic: The Gathering and Riot Games have also noted of a breach in IP.

While the leaked file was eventually scrubbed off social media, it can still be viewed in its entirety here.