Artificial intelligence seems to be all anyone talks about these days, and those conversations range from tinted with excitement to fraught with worry. Many artists have the latter feeling, because of AI’s potential impact on creativity—with AI, virtually anyone can “design” something (not always well, but the ability to create is there).

Cara, a relatively new app with a primary target audience of artists who are strictly opposed to AI, has exploded in popularity over the past several months. Unlike Meta’s offerings, Cara promises a social media environment free of AI-generated images.

The interface of Cara is like if all the apps you’re currently comfortable with joined together for one super experience: It has the grid like Instagram, microblogging à la X, and even a job platform similar to LinkedIn.

“Cara aims to be a creators-first social media platform that connects artists with clients, fans, and industry peers. We are committed to providing not only AI content filtering, but also tools that emphasize simplicity and ease of use while supporting artists with features they need to connect with communities and clients for their work,” the Cara website says.

“We understand that platforms may not have the power to solve the unethical and legal issues surrounding such [generative AI] datasets alone, but we believe that at the very least, they should show solidarity and respect for artists and and their communities in such times,” the website reads. “We felt that if no platform is interested in doing that, then we should build a platform for ourselves, one where the human factor is respected and prioritized.”

While the app sounds like a fun place to interact with other creatives—it features a community discussions feed—it also intends to connect artists with jobs and clients. Cara is free to use (on desktop or mobile), and anyone can sign up for it.

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