AI poses a significant threat to creative industries, according to Axel Scheffler, the illustrator behind the beloved children's character the Gruffalo. Scheffler, 68, described his alarm upon discovering AI-generated images of his work, noting that the technology reproduced his illustrations with a "very limited moral compass."
Speaking at the Publishers Association's annual reception in Parliament, Scheffler stated he had "naively thought it was a subject I could ignore." However, he was confronted by AI's capabilities when "somebody showed me what happens to the Gruffalo when you prompt AI to create an image." The resulting examples were described as "shocking," depicting the Gruffalo and mouse in "completely alien contexts" that Scheffler had not created.
He demonstrated AI's speed by generating an image of the Gruffalo in lederhosen within a minute. Scheffler pointed out that these AI creations often depicted characters consuming alcohol, illustrating what he considers AI's limited moral framework. He noted that while the AI tool he used would not generate nudity due to content restrictions, it readily adapted copyrighted characters for novel scenarios.
Scheffler highlighted that AI tools can create "complete illustrated books" in minutes, and warned this poses a particular concern for illustrators who lack the same protections afforded to authors. His concerns echo those of Gruffalo co-creator Julia Donaldson, who in 2024 called AI "scarily impressive" after her son used it to generate an alternate version of her book, The Oak Tree.