About Cara
Art by Tobias Kwan
Cara is a social media and portfolio-sharing platform for artists and art enthusiasts.
With the widespread use of generative AI, we decided to build a place that filters out gen AI images so that people searching for authentic creatives and images can do so easily.
Many platforms currently accept AI art when these models are not ethically built, while others sometimes promise “no AI forever”, without considering the scenarios where adoption of such technologies may happen at the workplace in the coming years.
The future of creative industries requires nuanced understanding and support to help artists and companies connect and work together. We want to build a platform that we would want to use as creatives ourselves.
Our stance on AI:
We do not agree with generative AI tools in their current unethical form, and we won’t host AI-generated portfolios unless the rampant ethical and data privacy issues around datasets are resolved via regulation.
In the event that legislation is passed to clearly protect artists, we believe that AI-generated content should always be clearly labeled, because the public should always be able to search for human-made art and media easily.
Cara’s Features
Curious about Cara? We’re a platform with portfolio and social feed. We have AI detection that filters out AI images from portfolios, customizable home feed, and album options for portfolios.
We aim to be a creator-first space for connecting artists with clients, fans, enthusiasts, and industry peers. 🔗
Social Feed & Portfolio, on Desktop and Mobile
Customizable Home Feed
GIF Uploads
Bookmarks and Albums
Cara Glaze (learn more)
Portfolio Albums on your Profile
Custom Crop for Thumbnails & Covers
Jobs Board
AI Image Detection & Filtering
Long text posts
Work availability settings
… and more!
Art by Kuang Hong Why a New Platform?
When AI art’s popularity exploded in late 2022, many art platforms turned away from the pleas of their users when it came to moderating AI-generated images, and while generative AI can be a powerful tool, we cannot ignore that AI companies are using datasets trained on copyrighted work and private personal data without our consent.
We understand that platforms may not have the power to solve the unethical and legal issues surrounding such datasets alone, but we believe that at the very least, they should to show solidarity and respect for artists and and their communities in such times.
We felt that if no platform is interested in doing that, then we should build a platform for ourselves, one where the human factor is respected and prioritized.
Art by Tobias Kwan
The Future
We believe that the future of creative industries will involve heavy use of AI, and it’s paramount that our governments work to regulate the rampant unethical data usage as well as provide safety nets for the impact AI will have on our society.
If generative AI becomes a fixture in production across industries, the way we create and consume art will change significantly, and it will impact all of us.
The Cara team will continue to place ourselves at the forefront and stay up to date on technology and industry developments. We will work to support human creatives the best way we can, and hope that Cara can be a place where artists can find discussions, education, and support as we navigate this incoming shift together.
Art by Marc Simonetti Roadmap & FAQs
We are a small group of volunteers, and our ability to do the things we wish to accomplish are limited by manpower, funds, and things that simply require time.
For Cara’s beta launch, we will begin by supporting the entertainment art industry that has been heavily affected by the recent AI art stance taken by major industry art platforms.
We want to be a place where the community can host their portfolios while providing recruiters, art directors, and clients a platform to easily seek out human artists for the jobs they are hiring for.
In time, we plan to open up the platform to serve other communities too. But in order for that to happen, we will need time to build out advanced tools, features, and learn more about new communities that we are less familiar with. We want to take each step with the utmost care and respect for all, both for our existing community, and for newcomers joining our platform.
If you would like to learn more, check out our FAQs for answers to frequently asked questions.
Team
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Jingna Zhang
Founder, Designer
I worked alongside artists in the industry for 20 years, grew up with digital art communities, and was an early alum at CGHUB.
I know our community’s needs as well as new technologies coming our way, and I believe if major companies won’t take a stand to protect us, then we should build a home for ourselves.
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Katie Borisov
Senior Production Engineer
I worked with Jingna’s esports team 10 years ago and am happy to be reunited a decade later.
I’m inspired by the passion and work of the artists in this community, and truly believe that Cara will help with what they are going through. I’m invested in making this a place for everyone.
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Jake RT
PhD Student, Full Stack Engineer
I was an active member of DeviantArt many years ago and I completely understand how necessary an online art community is.
I believe in Cara’s mission because it is necessary for artists to have an online space where their content is theirs and respected.
Contributors:
Lydia Kwa, Sarah Ting
Community Contributors:
Passtheale, Diana
Who’s On Board?
We began testing and collecting feedback from our close friends, including art directors, leads, and alums from companies and titles such as:
Bungie
Kojima Productions
FromSoftware
Marvel Studios
NVIDIA
Polygon Pictures
Riot Games
Sony Santa Monica
SpaceX
Wizard of the Coast
Destiny 2
Death Stranding
Fallout: New Vegas
Halo Infinite
League of Legends
Lone Echo
Mass Effect 3
Metal Gear Solid
Magic: The Gathering
We are actively looking to chat with more recruiters, art directors, and leads to better understand their needs when searching for artists.
Reach out to us at [email protected] or join our Discord to help shape our future business tools for facilitating work with the artist community!
Want to Join Cara?
We are now in open beta. Anyone can create an account and share their work.
Join our community below!
Art by Simon Cowell