iStock uses a policy — enforced through contributor guidelines and file inspection — to exclude externally AI-generated images from its licensable stock library, while permitting contributors to use AI tools for minor retouching only. The contributor guidelines explicitly bar files created with generative AI tools such as Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, Midjourney, or Adobe Firefly.

iStock's contributor requirements (updated May 2025) state that files created or substantially modified using generative AI models are not accepted for the stock library. Contributors may use AI tools only for minor retouching covering no more than 10% of an image's pixels, and may not add new elements using generative AI. The platform also does not accept photo-realistic AI-generated depictions of people. File submissions go through an inspection process described in contributor documentation; the specific role of AI in that inspection process is not confirmed in available sources — the inspection timeline suggests human review (3–15 business days).