The New Yorker used AI-generated art for a Sam Altman profile

In short: The New Yorker published a major profile of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman with an illustration credited as “Generated using A.I.”

What's going on

The New Yorker recently ran a profile of Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The story was accompanied by an unsettling illustration that showed Altman with multiple floating faces around his head. The credit line said the image was made by artist David Szauder and “Generated using A.I.”

The Verge reports that Szauder is not a newcomer using a simple text box to make pictures. He has worked for years with mixed media, collage, video, and “generative” art methods, meaning art made with rules and software (like setting up a recipe and letting it bake variations). In emails shared by The Verge, Szauder said he started with a clear idea and did a sketch stage, then used a mix of standard editing tools like Photoshop and AI-based editing, followed by manual fixes to correct flaws and refine faces, lighting, and clothing.

The New Yorker’s digital design director Aviva Michaelov told The Verge that Szauder sent about 15 sketches to the magazine’s art team before they chose the direction that became the final image.

What to watch

This is part of a broader debate about whether big publications should use AI-made images, even when a human artist is heavily involved. Supporters may see it like using a new kind of paintbrush, while critics worry it normalizes tools that can reduce paid work for human illustrators. Watch for clearer, more consistent disclosure rules from publishers about when and how AI is used in editorial art.

Source: The Verge AI