We’re constantly surrounded by media warnings that AI is replacing artists or stealing work via tools like Midjourney, but AI in art is far more nuanced and hopeful.

When I first typed a prompt into Midjourney, it felt like conjuring half-remembered dreams — thrilling, but uneasy. Now, with a $30 million lawsuit from Disney and Universal over alleged AI plagiarism, that unease has exploded into a full-blown reckoning. As an artist, I stand between admiration for these tools and the urgent need for ethical reform. This moment could either suffocate or strengthen the future of AI art.