The Ghost in My Portfolio

I operate as an independent commercial illustrator. Over twelve years, I developed a specific, recognizable rendering style that blends traditional watercolor textures with sharp digital ink lines. It was my professional signature. A few weeks ago, a long-term client forwarded me a link to an open-source generative AI forum. An anonymous user had trained a custom architectural module, a "style LoRA," entirely on my publicly available online portfolio. The software allows anyone to download the file and type a simple prompt to generate infinite high-resolution images in my exact aesthetic. When I expressed my devastation online, the community mocked me, insisting that I needed to "adapt" and that I should consider the digital cloning a form of flattery. It is not flattery. It is the non-consensual extraction of my professional identity. My commission requests have slowed because corporate clients have realized they can use the tool trained on my labor for a fraction of a cent per image. I am now forced to compete against a machine wearing my own artistic face, trained on my own late nights, sacrifices, and thousands of hours of practice. I can no longer look at my own artwork without feeling a sickening sense of violation.