As an artist, I think it is a net negative for us. Disregarding the copyright issue, I think it’s also consolidating power into large corporations, going to kill learning fundamental skills (rip next generation of artists), and turn the profession into a low skill minimum wage job. Artists that spent years learning and perfecting their skills will be worth nothing and I think it’s a pretty depressing future for us. Anways thoughts?
Most people enter programming and CS, in general, for the money. I don’t think that anybody who is an artist expects to go in it to get rich. You are wrong about programmers spending more time developing their skills as opposed to artists. I live in Austin and am around programmers all the time - they have the money, time, energy and resources to do and get most things they need and want. My wife and I are in the arts and can barely afford to live but the reason we keep going is because we are motivated to keep going and we haven’t sold our souls.
The one person I know who is genuinely passionate about CS is doing graduate school and studying ethics within the field. He didn’t go into it for the money and honesty I haven’t met anybody else like him.