Hand-Drawn Art Site TEGAKI Crashes on Launch Day as Creators Flock to AI-Free Zone

Artists Rush to AI-Free Art Platform

When TEGAKI (meaning "hand-drawn") opened its virtual doors on January 13, the response was overwhelming. Over 5,000 Japanese creators flooded the new art-sharing platform in its first day - crashing servers that were prepared for just 50 users. The site remains temporarily closed as developers scramble to upgrade capacity.

What makes this Pixiv-like platform different? Its ironclad ban on anything touched by artificial intelligence. "We're creating a space where human creativity can breathe," explains founder Tochi, an independent engineer and artist who developed the platform.

Proving Your Art is Human-Made

TEGAKI's verification process leaves no room for digital shortcuts. Artists must submit:

• Time-lapse videos showing their creative process
• Original work files with complete edit histories
• Documentation of traditional materials used (for physical artworks)

"It's not about rejecting technology," Tochi clarifies. "We actually use AI in our backend systems. But we want to preserve something special about art made entirely by human hands."

Fortress Against AI Scrapers

The platform employs multiple defenses against unauthorized AI training:

• Blocks major crawlers like GPTBot and Google-Extended
• Uses meta tags to prevent machine learning
• Detects and stops suspicious bulk downloads
• Disables right-click saving of images

Why Artists Are Choosing Human-Only Spaces

The explosive demand for TEGAKI reveals growing concerns among creators. Many feel their original works are being diluted in a sea of AI-generated content. One early user commented: "It's refreshing to know every piece you see here required real time, thought and skill."

While AI art tools continue advancing, TEGAKI's launch proves there's still strong appetite for purely human creativity - complete with its imperfections and personal touches that algorithms can't replicate.

Key Points:

• Overwhelming demand: 5,000+ signups crashed servers expecting just 50 users
• Strict verification: Requires time-lapse videos and original files as proof of human creation
• AI-free zone: Completely bans AI-generated or assisted artwork while using AI for operations
• Protective measures: Blocks crawlers, prevents bulk downloads, and disables image saving