Procreate vows never to touch generative AI

While every creative software company on earth is racing to cram generative AI into their toolbars, one major player just slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside.

On Monday, Procreate, the go-to digital illustration app on the iPad, took an absolute stand against generative AI, vowing to never introduce the technology into any of its products.

Procreate CEO James Cuda didn't mince words either. In a blunt video posted to X, Cuda said he really hates generative AI, noting that he dislikes what is happening in the industry and what it is doing to artists. He stressed that Procreate products are designed and developed around the principle that a human will be the one creating.

Choosing human craft over the AI hype train

On its official website, the company acknowledged that while machine learning has plenty of merit, the current path of generative AI is simply wrong for its platform.

Procreate made it clear that it has no interest in chasing tech that threatens human creativity, even if that decision makes the company seem at risk of being left behind.

The response across the digital art community was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Many illustrators have grown deeply frustrated with how legacy software vendors are handling the rise of AI.

Back in 2022, illustration app Clip Studio Paint planned to release an image generator tool, only to scrap the entire project after a massive backlash from its community. Meanwhile, Adobe has aggressively rolled out AI across its lineup, recently facing severe criticism over ambiguous terms of service that seemed to suggest user files could train AI models, forcing Adobe to issue clarifications.

Cuda admitted that nobody knows how this industry shift will ultimately play out, but insisted that backing human creativity is the right path.

Why it matters

We think Procreate just pulled off one of the smartest branding moves in the creative software market.

By drawing a hard line in the sand, Procreate isn't just catering to anti-AI sentiment; it is cementing its position as the ultimate sanctuary for human artists. For professional illustrators and students who actually want to master drawing rather than prompting, the app guarantees that their canvas won't turn into an AI training ground.

Strategically, trying to out-feature massive foundation models was always a losing game for a standalone drawing tool. Turning artisanal human craft into a core feature gives Procreate a distinct identity that tech conglomerates cannot easily clone.

That said, the purist stance carries long-term risk. If commercial production workflows tilt overwhelmingly toward generative speed, refusing to adopt even basic generative assistance could eventually test the patience of studio pipelines. But for now, Procreate just won the unwavering loyalty of its most important customers.