Photographic prints and a glowing AI interface illustrate the vsco ai training debate over creator images and likeness.

After Likeness Backlash, VSCO Says Creator Photos Stay Out of Generative AI

2026-11-11

VSCO has told its photographers, in plain terms, that their work will stay out of vsco ai training. The company updated its Creator Content Standards after its Terms of Use drew criticism in May for wording that appeared to allow exactly that.

The original concern centered on two passages in the vsco terms of use. The terms said users granted VSCO the right to use the “name, image, voice, or likeness of any individual” in their content, in any form or technology, including ones developed later. A second passage allowed VSCO to use certain content “to develop, train, and improve AI or machine learning models.”

VSCO responded quickly by saying it would not train AI models on user content. Eric Wittman, the company’s CEO, said that statement alone was not enough for some users. In a letter to users, he wrote that sharing work should not mean wondering whether it will train a system that generates photos or video without the photographer’s consent.

Creators are also rethinking which AI-powered tools they trust with their files, and one engineer’s free take on Adobe-style software offers a different route. Free open-source Adobe alternatives with AI assist is worth a look for anyone comparing editing platforms.

How vsco ai training rules changed

The fix is in the policy text itself. VSCO has updated its Creator Content Standards to say that paid members with an active membership and non-paying creators alike will have their public and private content kept out of vsco ai training. Wittman put it more bluntly: “We don’t use your content to train generative AI models. Not your public work. Not your private work.”

The distinction Wittman draws matters. VSCO says it uses machine learning and non-generative AI across the platform to help photographers find work, find people to connect with, and edit images. Training models that generate new images or video is a separate activity, and the company says its updated standards draw that line explicitly.

What the policy covers, and what it does not

VSCO says the same boundary applies to the outside providers that power some of its features. According to Wittman, those providers have agreed not to use content submitted through VSCO to train generative AI models. He also admitted the earlier standards were too broad to make these distinctions clear.

Not every report describes the policy the same way. Photography Talk, which reviewed the terms separately, says VSCO has told paying members their content is not used for vsco ai training. It also reports that publicly posted photos from free accounts may be used to improve AI-powered features, such as the recommendation engine that shows visually similar images when someone views a photo. Those features are non-generative, so they fall outside the generative training ban VSCO describes. Still, a free user who posts publicly should understand that the content may feed machine learning tools.

Photography Talk also reports that VSCO’s new terms take effect on June 22, 2026, and that the license section is largely unchanged. Its breakdown of the license, which is royalty-free, sublicensable, non-exclusive, perpetual, and worldwide, describes a standard structure. Platforms need that license to display, cache, and resize images. Under that reading, VSCO does not claim ownership of uploaded photos.

Sara Lee, VSCO’s general counsel, has described the likeness language as a standard right-of-publicity license. She said it “doesn’t mean VSCO owns your work or publicity rights.” Photographers who want to verify that for themselves can review the wording in VSCO’s updated Creator Content Standards page, which the company has published on its website.

For working photographers, the question of AI in their trade reaches well beyond any single platform. How AI is reshaping wedding photography shows what automation looks like on a real client job.

For photographers deciding whether to keep posting, the practical question is simple. Paid and non-paying creators get the same protection under the company’s current wording, and both paid and free creators now have a written commitment that vsco ai training for generative models is off the table. Anyone who wants to be certain should read the Creator Content Standards before uploading, rather than relying on a summary, including this one.

H/T petapixel.com

Frequently asked questions

Will VSCO use my photos to train generative AI models?

No, VSCO says it does not use creator content to train generative AI models. Its updated Creator Content Standards state that both public and private content from paid and non-paying creators is kept out of this training.

Why did VSCO change its terms of use and creator standards?

VSCO updated its Creator Content Standards after its Terms of Use drew criticism in May for wording that appeared to allow AI training and broad use of users’ likenesses. CEO Eric Wittman said the earlier standards were too broad to make these distinctions clear.

Does VSCO own the photos I upload to the platform?

No, according to the article, VSCO does not claim ownership of uploaded photos. Its general counsel, Sara Lee, described the likeness language as a standard right-of-publicity license that doesn’t mean VSCO owns your work or publicity rights.

Can VSCO use publicly posted photos from free accounts for AI features?

Photography Talk reports that publicly posted photos from free accounts may be used to improve non-generative AI features, such as a recommendation engine that shows visually similar images. The article notes these features fall outside the generative training ban VSCO describes.