My friend has been accused of AI use. He’s most likely guilty but I’m just so upset over the whole situation

I’m writing this because I desperately need to vent in my safe space. <br><br>My friend is a member of an amino. What’s an amino? It’s a Reddit-style social media platform mostly used by younger kids and teens on mobile. This amino is one for 3D modeling, a hobby that I and my friend have always been part of. This particular amino is for 3D modeling of characters, but my friend and I’s main focus is on 3D modeling of birds because we’re insane and love birds. Our amino is basically the amino’s “sister” amino (the bird one is the original, and the character one is the sister of the bird one, which is why my friend is a member).<br><br>About a month ago, a very popular and well-respected member of the 3D character amino accused my friend of using AI generated images. The member that accused my friend is a very well-established artist and modeler in my bird amino as well, and because my friend posts his work on the bird amino, the accuser is also actually a member of that amino. <br><br>The accusation was quite serious and there was a whole dramatic and intense thread on the character amino where the accuser posted over a hundred examples of my friend’s work with red circles over the parts of his work that looked obviously AI generated. <br><br>My friend has since denied the claims and has posted examples and tutorials of his own work to prove that he’s telling the truth. <br><br>The problem is, I’m not sure if my friend is telling the truth. The only reason I’m not SURE he’s guilty is that he posted the examples and tutorials in the first place (most people that have been accused of AI use just get angry and start spamming comments and private messages with AI-generated and stolen work and then get banned).<br><br>I personally use AI to generate textures and patterns for my work since I’m terrible at making them myself, and I have no problem with the use of AI-generated textures and patterns for 3D models. <br><br>I’m starting to get a little sick of all this drama happening, especially because it’s affecting my bird amino, and most of the members of the bird amino are on my friend’s side because most people who use the bird amino also use AI-generated textures and patterns on their birds. <br><br>I just wanted to vent my frustrations because I’m tired over the whole situation and I’m worried that my friend is going to get in big trouble over this (my friend is still in high school, and I am too, and I know my friend has submitted his AI-generated birds to his school as his own work, and that’s what I’m worried about). I just wanted to rant because I am SO tired of all this drama happening and I just want it to stop.