Posted in: Comics | Tagged: ai, GalaxyCon

GalaxyCon Announces A "Sweeping A.I. Art Ban" At All Their Shows

GalaxyCon announces a "Sweeping A.I. Art Ban" at all their shows, including a change to their terms and conditions

Published Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:25:12 -0500

Last updated Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:34:21 -0500

Article Summary

GalaxyCon announces a sweeping AI art ban for all its conventions, effective immediately in all locations.
Ban applies to artists, exhibitors, and guests, with updated terms and a zero-tolerance policy for AI-generated art.
Move follows industry controversies, including recent protests and artist ejections over AI art at major conventions.
GalaxyCon plans 38 upcoming shows in 2025-2026, aiming to double its economic impact while banning AI artwork.

In a well-timed policy decision, GalaxyCon has announced what they call a "Sweeping AI Art Ban" across all their GalaxyCon shows, including: GalaxyCon, Nightmare Weekend, Animate!, and Superstar Comic Con Conventions, with events in Oklahoma City, Raleigh, Columbus, Richmond, and San Jose. This ban applies to artists, exhibitors, and guests at GalaxyCon's roster of shows, and they have updated their terms and conditions for anyone exhibiting at its shows with a zero-tolerance policy towards AI-generated art.

: GalaxyCon logo

"The way artificial intelligence is currently being trained presents many ethical and moral issues that simply can no longer be ignored in our industry," said Mike Broder, Founder and President of GalaxyCon. "GalaxyCon has a long, proud history of supporting artists and their creativity, and we will continue to do so as the fight against unethical AI continues."

Recently, we have seen police called out to protests held at FanExpo against Bell Canada exhibiting with AI-generated artwork of attendees, seen as being in direct competition with Aritsts Alley, artists being ejected from Artists Alley at Dragon Con with police called to escort them out of the show, and Marvel Executive Editor and Senior Vice President and X-Men Group Editor Tom Brevoort talking about their own experimental use of AI-generated artwork, causing considerable controversy amongst creators and readers alike. With this announcement, GalaxyCon seems to be drawing a firm line on this one and maybe gaining positive publicity as a result. How soon will it be challenged? I guess we'll be looking to the newswires to find out.

We will certainly have plenty of possibilities. GalaxyCon has eighteen shows scheduled for 2025 and twenty shows for 2026, so they will have plenty of opportunity to test this possibility. It is believed that the $42 million it generated for local economies in 2024 will be doubled this year. And maybe a bit more if they keep A.I. away from it all.

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