Collaborative browser-based artistic platform Magma, created by artists for artists, announced that it is launching an open beta of artist-assist AI and other new anticipated features to its millions-strong legion of professional and hobby digital artists. Through its unique mix of artist and collaboration tools, the artistic platform has secured the interest of artists in more than 200 countries, with almost one million active users per month who are creating more than 15 million drawings per year.
Magma enables artists to achieve creativity and productivity through a collaborative, cloud-based artistic platform. Simple but robust, it allows artists and educators to create, collaborate, communicate, brainstorm, and share – all in real-time and without leaving their virtual canvas. Individuals and teams can securely and seamlessly share their artwork both within their organisation and externally. The platform’s “artist first” approach to product design allows easy access for users of all skill levels – from hobby artists to educators to professional studios. It is constantly updating its platform to bring artists the tools they need to create.
“Magma has been an invaluable tool for our team, especially when developing our own IP,” said Pitch Dev Studios CEO and art director David Levy. “Our group is made of many artists living in different parts of the world working under the same umbrella thanks to Magma.”
Artists can now also interact with Magma artist-assist AI, which has recently become available to the public in beta. However, this AI is not intended to be the sole producer of an artist’s creation. Driven by its recently released AI- focused manifesto, the platform’s team firmly believes AI tools should augment creativity by providing art styles, inspiration, layers, filters, visualisations and customisation to iterate, edit and form their artwork. This enables creators to grow, inspire and learn from each other while respecting the efforts of artists who spent years developing their skills and styles. According to the platform, its intention is to empower artists to achieve more, rather than undermine their skills.
Along with its community, Magma is working hard to find solutions for the responsible use of AI. Its AI beta current features are:
- Magma AI blocks the use of artists’ names in prompts unless the artist has given explicit permission to do so. With an existing and ongoing database for artists names, users have the ability to submit names to be excluded from prompting functionality.
- AI content is permanently marked as AI. This means that if AI was used in the canvas, the layer will be tagged as “AI” permanently, to improve transparency amongst collaborators.
- Complete prompt history record for every canvas. This means that in any canvas everyone can see all the prompts that were used in the entire canvas timeline, for sharing and transparency.
- Its AI layer tagging system along with prompt history records are well-equipped to help artists prove human ownership. A recent US copyright office statement states that works created with AI are copyrightable as long as there’s human ownership.
Top-priority Magma AI solutions currently in development include:
- Enabling artists to detect, license, and monetise their styles.
- Metadata/signature in downloaded artworks to improve AI visibility on artwork shared outside of Magma.
“Art and the process of making art is always evolving,” said Magma CEO Damien Kaczmarek. “AI is just one more tool to augment, not replace, creativity. What is most important to Magma is protecting artists and their work. Our goal is to provide an all-in-one solution for artists, which in the future needs to include an ethical AI solution.”
The company’s other professional features include:
- Enterprise license & advanced security: Artist IP is highly secure with single sign-on, role-based access, password protection, EU GDPR compliance, and other security features. For even more security, enterprise customers can opt into self-hosting or connecting their own encrypted object storage.
- Professional digital drawing tools: The tools include core brushes and modifiers; layer transformation, selection, and lasso tools; an enhanced lasso brush, predefined shape tools and a library of custom shapes, and a wide variety of filters; as well as an integration including Photoshop, Jira and more.
- Full control over the creative process: Prime management dashboard for fast preview, edit, comment, storage and easy access to all team artwork.
- Accelerated feedback process: Ideal for team organisation, project and asset management, and better communication for pipeline efficiency. Simultaneous Artspaces, communication channels, and synchronous and asynchronous feedback tools enable truly collaborative workflows in the art creation and brainstorming process. Ideal for unlimited user collaboration. Up to 50 people are able to simultaneously work during a single art jam.
- An engaging platform: Allow users to share their artworks, create with friends and colleagues, and be inspired. Art channels allow users to communicate and connect with others. In addition to chat and channels, a new integrated video call feature allows for the whole team to seamlessly be in a call in an Artspace canvas at one time, without having to jump into another program.
According to artists using Magma in professional game, film, and animation firms, the platform is shifting how artists create and engage. As per the platform, its users have reported a 25 per cent reduction in project delivery time, 32 per cent less time spent in meetings, 40 per cent fewer revisions per cycle, and 72 per cent increase in employee satisfaction. On average, clients with seat licenses recoup their costs within the first month of implementing the tool into their workflow.
The platform offers a variety of solutions for artists – from robust free offerings to collaborative professional packages and turn-key enterprise programs.