Patterns with AI-generated images

I think it’s a shame that patterns with AI-generated images are now appearing here as well... It would only be fair to customers if this were specified in the description. When you buy these patterns, you want to recreate the results just as beautifully, but that would never be possible.
 

In principle, it probably won’t be possible to prevent this in the long run, but yes, I think a small note would be more than fair.

Hello everyone,

thank you very much for your feedback and the open discussion—understandably, this is a topic on many people’s minds.

Good news: The feature allowing authors to label product images has already been developed and is currently in the review phase. As soon as this is complete, the feature will be released.

Authors will then be able to voluntarily mark their own images as “AI-assisted” to provide transparency when AI tools have assisted in the image creation process.

We’d like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to use this option (once it’s available) in the future—because transparency builds trust. It helps buyers have realistic expectations while ensuring a fair and open community on the platform.

Best regards,
Your Crazypatterns Team

Maybe you could clarify a bit more exactly what you mean?
If both the patterns AND the finished product are generated by AI, that’s an absolute no-go—I completely agree with you there.
But you can still tell quite clearly when that’s the case, and in my opinion, it really shouldn’t be found on any platform.

But, for example, I’ve only recently started editing my product photos using AI. However, this only ever affects the background—not my crocheted items themselves. They’re always 100% handmade and can be recreated exactly the same way. That means removing the background (kitchen countertop, desk, etc. :-)) and letting AI generate a nicer, more suitable background.
Do you also find this objectionable, or do you consider it to fall into the same category?
I don’t mean any harm—I just want to understand whether my enhanced product photos might fall into the same category and potentially deter customers because they think my products themselves have been altered.
As I said, I think you can see the difference right away. AI simply can’t render realistic crochet stitches.

@Elealinda
I'm afraid I have to disagree with you: a great many customers simply don't recognize it.
Many don't even know the term AI or everything that's possible with it. You'll find the proof in many posts and comments from surprised, upset customers who fell for it. 

Of course, this topic can't be stopped; there will be even more of it in the future.
As long as labeling these images as AI remains voluntary, nothing will change; the only things that help are educating people and taking a close look.
About your edited images: It's not about backgrounds; every one of us edits our photos in some way. It only becomes a problem when the crocheted/knitted item etc. in itself is made to look so much better by AI that you could never make it that way. That is deceiving the customer.
Best, Martina 
 

As Martina says, it’s not about the background. There’s nothing wrong with showcasing the product well.
But the crocheted or knitted piece in the photo has to be real in the pattern.
Experienced crafters can tell right away from the pictures when the stitches aren’t real, but I also think there are many who don’t notice it right away and then get frustrated because their project can never turn out exactly like the picture.



 

Yes, I agree with you. Not everyone can tell the difference. I jumped to conclusions based on my own experience, which was wrong.
I also think that AI-generated crochet items shouldn’t be allowed in product photos, because it’s simply misleading and misrepresents the facts.
It’s gotten really bad on Etsy, too. 🥴

I made a comparison image so that those of you who are unsure about the images can see the difference. If you zoom in, you’ll
see my original on the left with real, recognizable stitches and natural irregularities; on the right, I had the AI-generated image edited—it has no real stitches and looks “too perfect.”

I don’t like the voluntary labeling of images edited with the help of AI. It leaves far too much of a gray area and only leads to frustration and annoyance among customers. AI-enhanced images create false expectations that are unattainable in reality.  

As a customer, I also base my purchase decision on the photos. The item shown in those images was created by a person with their own hands, and the pattern describes exactly how to make it. If my skills are sufficient, then—if I buy this pattern—I will be able to make an item just like the one shown. That is the goal of a pattern. 

If CP wants or needs to open itself up to AI images in order to keep up with the times, I think a mandatory labeling requirement is necessary. As a buyer, I would like to be able to see exactly beforehand which patterns are suitable for me and which are not. That’s why I would welcome a filter that lets me filter by “patterns with AI-edited images or content” or “patterns without AI.”

Throwing everything into one pot will create a big mess, and frustration is inevitable. 

Best regards, Ina

 

Especially considering that labeling them will be mandatory starting in August 2026 anyway:
As of August 1, 2024, the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) has been in effect in Europe—the first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence (AI). It introduces new requirements for companies—including, as of August 2, 2026, a legally mandated obligation to label AI-generated content.

I’d also be grateful if CP made this a requirement right away rather than leaving it voluntary, especially considering that labeling will be mandatory starting in August 2026 anyway:
As of August 1, 2024, the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689)—the first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence (AI)—has been in effect in Europe. It introduces new requirements for companies—including, as of August 2, 2026, a legally mandated obligation to label AI-generated content.

Oops, sorry for the duplicate post...
That actually makes me wish for another feature: the ability to edit or delete our own posts here 🤣

To me, your AI image looks kind of washed out, Mel.
The eyes don’t look crocheted like they do in your original, and the cup has been rounded off.

I’m okay with AI as a little tool, but not as a way to mislead people.

When you crochet or knit something yourself, the stitches are never absolutely perfect, if I may say so.

Some people will voluntarily label them, and others won’t care.

I can imagine that the authors are driving their own customers away when the crocheted or knitted piece is “embellished” by AI. I’m not talking about backgrounds or decorations—I’m talking about the fact that customers can never achieve the result shown. And when I’m dissatisfied, I stop buying. Maybe things will sort themselves out this way. But I’m sad that it has to come to this. I’d prefer a different solution: for example, not allowing AI images in the first place.
Why shouldn’t crazypatterns be the first platform to be completely free of AI images and stand out because of it? (As I said, this isn’t about backgrounds, but about the handmade piece itself!)

This is all about the handiwork we love and take pride in creating. Why can’t the stitches be visible in the picture?
  The example image above is great! In the original, you can see that the eyes are crocheted. And in the AI version, it looks like the eyes are made of plastic. And the mug looks like it’s made from a completely different pattern!
You could also see this as misleading. Just food for thought.
I’m curious to see where this goes.
Best regards, Karoline 

This development makes me sad, too. Just today, among the new releases, there were at least 4 prettied-up AI images... If it were only the background, I wouldn’t care, but like this...?
If this is starting on CP now too, then as a customer I would expect that among the preview images there at least has to be one image that shows the real item without an AI makeover, so people can have realistic expectations. Otherwise, in my opinion, that’s misleading customers. 

@Karoline (SanukDesignsbyKP)
I’d also prefer CP to be completely without AI images...

So, I think Karoline’s suggestion is great!! Why not be the first (and maybe the only ones) to consciously avoid AI and use that as a selling point? It would definitely be a mark of quality. You could feature it prominently on the homepage right away.

I often see on Facebook how people who buy patterns on Etsy complain that they either don’t receive their patterns at all, or that they’re clearly written by AI and have never been tested. Naturally, the results reflect that, and customers end up frustrated. Whenever I come across something like this, I always like to point people to crazypatterns in the comments, explaining that it’s an “honest” platform where you won’t find that kind of junk. That’s why I’d think it’s a shame if AI-generated images (and hopefully not patterns as well) start showing up here too.

A little help with backgrounds is fine, of course (I still have to make do with wallpaper patterns from the hardware store, but only because I haven’t found a decent app yet 😅), but when it comes to the products themselves, you should be honest and do without it. 

It’s just a shame that many customers/users are exactly the ones who fall for these AI-generated images. You can see it on Facebook/Instagram. Regular photos get a few dozen or a hundred likes and maybe a handful of comments. The fake AI images, on the other hand, often get thousands of likes, and people are falling over themselves in the comments, raving about how cute and beautiful it is and asking where they can find the pattern for it. You often just want to run away screaming when they start praising the “extraordinary talent” behind it. It’s unbelievable that so many people (especially in the English-speaking world) don’t realize that the product shown usually doesn’t even exist. Of course, the algorithm also takes note of what people find so great. That’s why we’re being flooded with AI-generated images everywhere. Real designers with real products are increasingly being pushed into the background as a result, which I think is a real shame. At some point, I started rigorously blocking all these AI accounts. Since then, I’ve had some peace from it.

Best regards, Michaela

In the example from Nadeleule, you can see the difference clearly. The AI image is super cute and quickly tempts customers to buy. Frustration is practically guaranteed. The mug, the snout, the snow—all of it is completely different from the original. As a result, the customer won’t come back.

One more thing:
In a Facebook group, someone from China bought a kit to make an angel. Lo and behold, she couldn’t figure out the pattern. It was a product that was shown in 3D in the photo, but the pattern was for crocheting it flat.
I think this could lead to a lot of frustration. 

@Ruth:
As I mentioned last time, please don’t upload AI-generated images of licensed characters here. I’ve removed your post. 

Mod Edit: Post edited.
At this point, I’d like to give a shout-out to all the honest authors: You’re amazing, and I really appreciate your work and the effort you put into the patterns and photos 🥰 Please keep doing EXACTLY what you’re doing

Hello everyone,

Thank you very much for your comments and the respectful discussion on this topic.

We’d like to briefly explain how we’re currently handling this:

All patterns with product images where we notice possible AI processing are reviewed—and only approved if the work shown actually matches the result described in the pattern.
This review process applies in particular to authors with fewer than 1,000 sales. For experienced authors, we take action as soon as a violation is reported to us.

The comment we posted above describes the current status of our work—namely, the labeling feature we’ve already developed, which is currently in the review phase and will be available soon.

We will, of course, continue to monitor developments and intervene as necessary. However, mandatory labeling will not be feasible in the long term, as it would be neither technically verifiable nor reliably enforceable.

Thank you to everyone who is contributing constructively.

Best regards,
Your Crazypatterns Team

Today I edited a product photo of mine with AI for the first time.
The original is on the right, the AI version on the left
That scares me.

Petra, let’s be honest: your pieces are always knitted accurately and clearly recognizable; that wouldn’t be necessary at all. The AI image looks like something from a fashion catalog; it doesn’t look like knitting anymore at all.
There’s also another problem if, say, you use the AI image as the cover image in the pattern. Someone makes the sweater, but (for whatever reason) isn’t sure whether they did the color change correctly or something else. They might then want to zoom in on the cover image to check whether it looks the same there, and with the AI image they see exactly NOTHING! No clear stitches are visible, and since the AI has straightened out the frog nicely, some of the colors aren’t where they should be according to the pattern. The project is then doomed to fail. The frog’s eyes are also too straight. Your frog has a “personal” facial expression because it is looking slightly upward.
The authors go to so much trouble photographing their finished pieces, sometimes a hundred times over, sorting through the pictures, editing them (light, contrast...), and staging them so that everything is presentable, clearly recognizable, and appealing, and then an AI image like that messes it up and is a slap in the face to everyone who does all that work and makes that effort, even if it looks more perfect at first glance. The authenticity is simply missing. 

I also don’t think it’s a good idea to use AI for handmade crafts. I once tried to follow a crochet pattern from a friend who had bought it as a crochet kit on Temu. The result was creepy. Handmade crafts should stay handmade—AI has no place there.

To me, AI images are a misrepresentation of reality!
As a buyer, you’re lured in by a pretty photo and can’t possibly recreate it that way. To me, that’s practically fraud.

I think photos showing the item being worn are always well-received. Since I don’t have that option, I’m wondering if I could add an AI-generated photo of the item being worn to the additional photos alongside the original image shown. But I’d make sure to clearly label it as AI-generated,

This is such beautiful work. You don’t need to do that. 
 

Yes, I’m proud of my work. But to optimize sales, I’m also thinking about ways to improve. What’s important, though, is always the original image and the additional one labeled as AI-generated. 

It scares me that this can be done with just one click. Where is this all going to lead?

I find your presentation so far very appealing and honest. I doubt that the AI images will boost sales. 

I can only agree with Mel on this. Your work and presentations speak for themselves. You don’t need to use AI.

To be honest, the AI-generated product image doesn’t really appeal to me. It’s just “too good to be true.” I can tell right away that it’s an AI image, so I’d scroll past it immediately. But for customers who don’t recognize it right away, it might be a different story.

“It scares me that this is done with just one click. Where is this all going to lead?”

Yes, I agree, dear Petra. And we’re right in the middle of this process. It may well be that AI does a lot of useful things for people. But the lines between real and artificial, useful and dangerous, are becoming increasingly blurred. Images, faces, voices—all imitated, all seeming so real, yet they aren’t always. Who can still rely on their instincts? This is making me increasingly uneasy. You start to doubt everything.

It’s a shame that this trend has also made its way into the world of crafts. Maybe in a few years we’ll all have gotten used to artificial images, AI voices, and so on, but right now I’m rather skeptical about it. It’s a shame that the real things are disappearing more and more—or becoming invisible.

Love, Ina

I’d also like to add that your shops are unmistakable thanks to your individual styles. Very often, I see new items and think, “Oh, Petra (or Ina or Ruth)... has posted something new!” If, at some point, everyone starts using AI-generated images, that individuality will disappear and everything will look the same. The personal touch will be lost, and I’d find that very unfortunate ☹️ 

@ Everyone:
Thank you for the positive feedback on my products and how they’re presented. But this issue really bothers me.
I keep checking Facebook and am amazed at how many people mistake AI-generated photos for real ones. They’re asking for patterns. That’s soooo bad.