DeviantArt

DeviantArt deployed DeviantArt Protect, an AI-powered image recognition tool launched in July 2021 that scans for near-identical copies of a member's artwork uploaded by others on the platform and, later, minted as NFTs on public blockchains.

DeviantArt Protect uses machine learning-based image recognition to identify images nearly identical to artworks already in a member's gallery. When a potential match is found, the artist receives a notification and can choose to file a DMCA takedown request. Human members of the Customer Support team review each match before a notification is sent, providing quality assurance. The tool was expanded in May 2022 to scan eight public blockchains (including Ethereum, Polygon, Tezos, and Flow) for NFTs that match DeviantArt members' artwork. Core Members receive unlimited ongoing monitoring; free users receive three months of coverage. DeviantArt Protect does not automatically remove content; the user decides whether to take action.

DeviantArt deployed technology to help its human moderation team proactively identify content that violates site policies before it is reported, shifting from a previously reactive moderation approach. DeviantArt has stated that AI does not take automatic action and that human moderators make all final decisions.

DeviantArt announced this shift to proactive moderation in a team journal post. The new technology assists moderators in identifying policy-violating content more rapidly. DeviantArt explicitly stated that 'the moderation team itself is not being replaced, nor will deviations have actions automatically taken by Artificial Intelligence.' The AI flags potential violations for human review rather than auto-removing content. The exact technical nature of the detection system (e.g., image classifiers, text analysis) was not disclosed in available sources.

DeviantArt uses an AI detection system to automatically identify artwork created with AI tools, supplementing a mandatory user labeling requirement that went into effect in June 2023. Detected or labeled AI art can be suppressed from a user's browsing feed at their discretion.

Starting June 12, 2023, DeviantArt required users to label submissions made primarily with AI tools as 'Created using AI tools.' In July 2023, DeviantArt updated the system to automatically apply this label when an image's embedded metadata indicates it was created with AI — metadata that is embedded by most major AI generation tools. A separate AI detection model also attempts to identify AI-generated images that lack proper labeling, enabling the platform's 'Suppress AI' browse setting to filter out such content. DeviantArt has stated that detection accuracy is imperfect and improves over time as more artists correctly label their work.