“Most ironic outrage”: Ha, ha, AI bros are complaining about “prompt thieves”

AI art communities are arguing over “prompt stealing,” with some users accusing others of copying and reposting the exact instructions used to generate images. Outside these spaces, critics say the outrage is steeped in irony, pointing out that generative AI itself is trained on massive amounts of artists’ work, often without consent or compensation.

The result is a familiar internet spectacle: accusations of theft, colliding with long-running debates over "originality" in the age of AI.