As generative AI has become easier and cheaper to produce, many stock providers are choosing to integrate AI-generated assets into their libraries. Because of that, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about whether Storyblocks has AI-generated content in our own library, so we’d like to clarify our library policies and how we source our content.
Does the Storyblocks stock library have AI-generated content?
No, Storyblocks’ stock library does not contain any AI-generated content – all of the assets in our library are 100% human-made. We have strict zero generative AI policy when it comes to what we allow into our library. You can always trust that when you download stock from Storyblocks, it’s been made by a real human artist that we’ve vetted.
The Storyblocks library has always been 100% human-made
While our zero generative AI content policy is newer, Storyblocks has always worked directly with artists around the world to source stock for our library. Since 2009, we’ve held the idea of a stock library “by artists, for artists” as a core part of how we operate.
That idea allowed us to grow and expand over time, going from a marketplace selling individual clips to an unlimited subscription model, all while compensating the artists who create the high-quality, pre-licensed content that our members know and trust. At Storyblocks, we wholeheartedly value being able to help artists around the world film footage, create music, and build motion graphics templates while being able to earn from their work.
Supporting human-first stories through Re: Stock
It’s one of the reasons we started our award-winning Re: Stock initiative, which gives independent filmmakers an opportunity to create their own unique footage collection that’s exclusive to our library. The stories that our artists are able to tell are authentic to their lives, communities, and experiences, which makes them resonate more with audiences.
Community Stays Put by filmmaker Christian Nolan Jones is a perfect example. A love letter to east Atlanta, this collection of footage showcases scenes of everyday life within Jones’ hometown community. From the laundromat to a homeowner’s driveway, all of the footage clips are shot with the candid familiarity only a true local could achieve. The scenes, people, and expressions don’t feel staged at all – and that’s the authenticity that Re: Stock is able to add to our library for members.
Expertly curated by our content team
Along with all of our content being created by real artists, our library is also curated by our very own content team. That curation starts with the artists we accept into our library – which is only about 5% of our total applications. From there, our team monitors demand trends, library gaps, and low-result search queries that they pass on to our artists to make sure our library has fresh content that meets the needs of our members.
From the people creating the stock media to the curators who evaluate submissions and decide what meets our strict standards of quality to be added to our library, Storyblocks has a fully human production pipeline to ensure our library is 100% human-made in every way.
Curating a different kind of stock library
We believe that creativity is best left in the hands of humans. And while AI can be a powerful tool for helping expedite parts of the creative process, our goal has been and always will be to support the people creating art, whether it’s filming footage, composing music, or any other form.
So we trust that when you explore our library, you will feel the effort that many, many people have put in to create it and that the content makes a noticeable difference in the impact of your work.
