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AI developer Anthropic\u2019s controversial Corporate Patron status<\/a> of the Blender Development Fund has been downgraded to a one-off donation, the Blender Foundation has announced<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to the Foundation, \u201cAnthropic has been informed and supports this decision.\u201d<\/p>\n The Foundation is now \u201cstrengthening the processes when it comes to accepting donations\u201d, and will now \u201cclearly define how Blender is positioned in regards to generative AI technologies\u201d.<\/p>\n A divisive donor to the Blender Development Fund Although support from other large tech corporations had proven controversial in the past, some Blender users\u2019 visceral dislike for generative AI meant that the news was particularly divisive.<\/p>\n On social media, responses<\/a> ran the gamut from \u201cthis is a smart move\u201d to \u201cI will never donate to you again\u201d.<\/p>\n Although by no means all of the feedback was negative, on Friday, the Blender Foundation issued a statement<\/a> that Anthropic\u2019s contribution to the fund had become a one-off donation.<\/p>\n Anthropic\u2019s logo no longer appears<\/a> on the Blender Development Fund website.<\/p>\n New status \u2018requires no formal relationship\u2019 between Anthropic and Blender Some of it covers the issues we analyzed in our original story<\/a>: whether large corporate donations grant donors influence over future development of Blender, either explicit (they don\u2019t) or implicit (more debatable).<\/p>\n Comparing Anthropic to previous corporate donors, Siddi commented:<\/p>\n \u201cIn my personal view, Anthropic is no different than other large corporations that are part of the Development Fund. But I do know, and respect, that for many it\u2019s not the same.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the case of the Development Fund, showing the logo (at mutual discretion) or providing a point of contact in the organization can be considered a form or relationship. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is why we chose to shift Anthropic\u2019s Development Fund membership into a donation, which requires no agreement or formal relationship. The money still goes towards Blender\u2019s mission, unconditionally.\u201d<\/p>\n Reviews of Blender policy on future donations and relationship to AI announced The Foundation will also now \u201cclearly define how Blender is positioned in regards to generative AI technologies\u201d, including in developing the software itself, and for creating documentation.<\/p>\n The statement concludes that Blender is a tool \u201cmade by humans for humans\u201d and that \u201cno generative AI functionality is currently available or planned to be integrated in Blender\u201d.<\/p>\n Read the Blender Foundation\u2019s announcement of the changes to funding and AI policies<\/a><\/p>\n Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and X (formerly Twitter)<\/a>. As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don\u2019t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.<\/p>\n \t\t\t
Last week\u2019s announcement that Anthropic had become Blender\u2019s latest Corporate Patron, and would contribute \u20ac240,000\/year towards development of the open-source 3D software, split the Blender community.<\/p>\n
Blender CEO Francesco Siddi has also posted a thread on Mastodon<\/a> explaining the decision in more detail.<\/p>\n
The Blender Foundation is now \u201cstrengthening the processes when it comes to accepting donations\u201d, with progress due to be communicated through the board meeting logs on the Blender website.<\/p>\n