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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Claudia Efemini

‘They’re supposed to be handmade’: zine creators fight to resist AI influence

A black and white photo of someone holding a copy of I Should Be Allowed to Think
Rachel Goldfinger’s counter-AI zine I Should Be Allowed to Think is named for a song by They Might Be Giants. Photograph: Rachel Goldfinger

The self-published zine has long been central to cultural revolutions, from queer activism to Black feminism and the riot grrrl punk movement, producing titles such as Sniffin’ Glue and Sweet-Thang along the way. But now the traditionally analogue art form faces a new shift: artificial intelligence.

AI may seem incompatible with the these cult DIY booklets, but some creatives, designers and artists have begun to experiment with the technology, causing alarm in parts of the underground publishing world. It has been their Dylan-goes-electric moment.

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