Committee member quits over AI backlash to craft fair
A COMMITTEE member has resigned from Shetland Arts and Crafts Association (SACA) after strong criticism of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) at this year’s craft fair.
Secretary Linda Richardson said she had “fallen on my sword” following backlash about the use of AI by both SACA members and the association itself at the event at the Clickimin.
An extraordinary general meeting (EGM) has been called by SACA as a result of the criticism, which will be held on Saturday 28 November at Islesburgh.
Richardson’s resignation comes just a day after she said that the use of AI within the Shetland craft scene “needs to be addressed”.
The weekend’s annual craft fair at the Clickimin – which was attended by more than 4,000 people – has been overshadowed somewhat by online complaints about the rising use of AI in stalls and promotional materials this year.
SACA itself came in for criticism for using generative AI to create a poster that was used by visitors to vote for their favourite stall.
Richardson admitted that AI was used by SACA to make posters, saying the volunteer committee “simply ran out of time”.
A letter sent to Shetland News on Sunday said it was a “source of vicarious embarrassment” to see what they said were some AI-generated products being sold at the craft fair.
The letter writer also urged SACA to ban the use of AI at all future craft fairs in Shetland.
Richardson said on Monday that SACA’s members “do need to think” about the use of AI and “what they want our association to be”.
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Just over 24 hours later, the SACA secretary announced she would be stepping down from her role.
“Continuing the great SACA AI debate, as secretary I have fallen on my sword to save you all,” she said in a post on social media.
“At 70 I’ve had enough. The committee work extremely hard as volunteers. EGM on 28th November for all members to have their say.
“SACA need office bearers and committee members otherwise nothing happens. What is decided at the EGM will be publicised.”
She had said on Monday that the lovely comments about the craft fair and the hard work that went into it were “outweighed by the negative feedback” about AI.
It comes at a time when the use of generative AI, particularly in the arts, has become a contentious subject, with many writers, artists and musicians strongly opposed to its use.
Platforms such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude have grown in popularity in recent years, but they have been heavily criticised by some in the artistic fields for mimicking or replicating the work of other artists.
SACA issued a statement, also through Richardson, on Monday afternoon about the weekend’s annual craft fair.
The association said that as a whole it would need to discuss the use of AI and “work out the best way forward”.
As a result, it said its Up Helly Aa craft fair at Mareel in January was “under review”.
“We appreciate folk have strong views on this matter and we will be contacting our existing membership.”
The SACA EGM will take place at 2pm on Saturday 28 November in Islesburgh’s room 12.
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