Fields such as art and education are beginning to reflect anti-AI anger
Photo Courtesy of Daniil Komov- Pexels
One of the most widely discussed topics in our society today seems to be the use of artificial intelligence, commonly referred to as AI. TIME Magazine reported uses of AI across several fields, including in vaccine and medical research, teaching and educational programs, and wildlife conservation efforts. However, while the use of artificial intelligence grows, Forbes has reported, “Gen-Z are markedly less excited and more angry about AI.” It recently appears that some companies have noticed this, and are beginning to crack down on its applications.
Spotify, the popular music streaming platform, announced on Oct. 20, that it had “taken tens of millions of ‘slop and spam tracks,’” referring to songs created by AI, “out of the platform’s recommendations this year,” as per Yahoo Entertainment. Spotify said it aims to “[put] human artistry first,” inspiring the company to “strengthen AI protections.”
In a further effort to prevent AI from overstaying its welcome in the music industry, Spotify has also rolled out features on the beta and mobile versions of its app to allow for users and publishers to disclose when parts of their track are made with artificial intelligence, or if the entire artist profile is generated by artificial intelligence, as noted on Spotify’s support page.
However, consumers’ frustrations with the use of artificial intelligence is not a new feeling. This anti-AI sentiment was evident at the San Diego Comic-Con, which was held in July, as per their Facebook page. The organizers “banned all artwork created by artificial intelligence from the 2026 Comic-Con art show,” according to CNET. The Comic-Con’s official website documented that the art show featured in this summer’s event would include “numerous original drawings, paintings, sculptures, pieces of jewelry, and more,” while art “created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, [was] not allowed in the art show.”
Another win for human art championing artificial creations came recently from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In early October of 2026, a Cedar Rapids theatre company, as reported by a local Iowa news source, KCRG, ended its use of artificial intelligence. Executive director of the theatre, Matt Ford, explained the company had “used AI in the past for [their] graphic design,” citing financial limitations for his reason for doing so. However, he admitted, he “began questioning what those savings meant for artists whose work helps bring audiences to a production. He spoke with the company’s graphic designer, Jay Diers, about returning to artwork created without generative AI and paying him as much as the small company could afford,” KCRG detailed. Diers, as documented by the Iowa news source, appreciated Ford’s recognition of the importance of human creation, rather than the use of AI. “I really felt that it was important that we’re paying people for what they’re worth and what they do,” Diers elaborated. Ultimately, Ford “pledged continued support for playwrights, performers, directors, designers, photographers, musicians, technicians and visual artists,” while announcing a new, reinstated commitment to authentic, human art.
Art—such as music, comics, movies, and fashion—are not the only industries to have recently taken stands against AI. Dove Beauty has also made its efforts to prioritize human consumers over artificial intelligence clear. On their website, Dove states they are “renewing [the company’s] vow to champion real beauty, with a commitment to never use AI to create or distort images of women.”
Furthermore, even outside of art and beauty, artificial intelligence has been seen in use even in education. In yet another move to limit society’s reliance on artificial intelligence, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced an artificial intelligence ban in New York City schools in kindergarten through eighth grade classrooms, as per Chalkbeat, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving children’s “access to a quality education,” according to their about page. New York City “will ban student-facing generative AI tools, like chatbots and tutors that respond to prompts.” Chalkbeat explained that this policy could change, and is currently only set to “run for at least” the current academic year, as “city officials admitted they have little hard data on how much AI is currently in use across” New York City schools. Still, Mayor Mamdani and other city officials have shown commitment to creating “a coalition of educators, students, parents, union officials, and experts to help assess the policy and” how, and whether or not, it should change.
While ScienceDirect has published information that some top AI “tools received nearly 3 billion monthly visits in March 2024” alone, there may be a new trend of brands and organizations making a commitment against artificial intelligence. The demand for this commitment from consumers and young people is noticeable. Boston 25 News reported on Oct. 20, 2026, that many Boston students in college towns have taken part in walk out demonstrations “as part of a nationwide protest” against the use of AI. A similar anti-AI walk out protest was adopted by students at LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, also in October of 2026, as reported by Govtech.com.