Prestige Spirit Blossom Lux artist accused of using AI: “I literally spent three months of this process doing nothing but staying in my room and hand painting every detail.”

Constantly scrutinizing every artwork online for signs of AI has become the norm, but this mindset is hurting many artists who are simply trying to share their work and gain visibility. Even established artists haven’t been spared from these accusations. Riot Games artist Alsie Lau is one of the latest to face such claims over her work on the Prestige Spirit Blossom Lux skin.

TikTok has been the main stage of the AI accusations around the Prestige Spirit Blossom Lux skin. Alsie Lau is the digital artist behind it. If you are not familiar with her work, she has been part of the Riot Games team since 2021. Alsie is the artist of very popular skins such as the Spirit Blossom Master Yi, Mythmaker Sivir, Porcelain Irelia, and more. You can check her work on her ArtStation profile.

TBSkyen, who is also a digital artist known for discussing art-related topics online, came on TikTok to defend Alsie's work. He expressed how people need to stop accusing every artist of using AI. This was not the first time that people accused Alsie of using AI. Last year, the same conversation started after the release of Porcelain Irelia.

The artist explained how the details in the skin make sense, as they were created with a deep understanding of physics and three-dimensional perspectives, concepts that AI still does not grasp. Not only that, but he recognized how Alsie's work has so many hand-painted details that make her pieces very unique.

TBSkyen asked, "When you look at the work of an accomplished artist like Alsie Lau and say, 'I don't know, it looks like AI, I can't tell the difference,' who do you think you're helping?" His frustration was clear as he expressed his anger toward people making such comments without bothering to research the artist or take a closer look at the work.

He continued to explain how people were unintentionally validating the argument of big companies that there's no clear distinction between human art and AI-generated work. This, he argued, could lead these companies to forgo hiring artists altogether and simply rely on AI to generate all the art they need. He further showed that Alsie Lau actually posts the process of her paintings online on her Instagram. "AI art is stealing from her; she is the one who made this," he added. "[The artists] were the people whose work was stolen to make the AI box."

Alsie Lau chose not to address the comments formally on social media. However, she responded to a fan, expressing how disheartening it felt when people accused her of using AI. "I literally spent three months staying in my room and hand-painting every detail, flower petal, and particle," she said. "I thoughtfully placed each element to convey a specific mood, aesthetic, and visual balance." To further emphasize her effort on the Lux skin, Alsie uploaded a speed paint to her official YouTube channel. When a fan asked how many hours she dedicated to the skin, she answered around 350 hours.

A user commented under TBSkyen’s video, saying, “AI-generated imagery has ruined how we perceive and engage with digital art forever. I hate that we’re constantly on high alert every time a piece of art appears online. I miss the days when I could just scroll through people’s work for fun, without worrying whether it was AI or not.”

Others echoed similar sentiments, criticizing AI and accusing some people of using the AI debate as an excuse to attack artists they dislike. Some argued that AI “has done irreparable damage to the internet,” amplifying the sense of distrust and paranoia surrounding digital art.

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