They never were gonna pay anyone, so the only real loss in this is that the internet is subjected to their generated dogshit when before they would've just been throwing shitfits on webcomic forums about how artists are assholes because nobody wants to do years of unpaid labor for them.

Generally these are the same people who would've paid their artists in 'exposure' or 'a cut of the profits someday in the future when it becomes a mega hit'. They use AI because no thinking person would agree to take on the bulk of the work for nothing, or the possibility of maybe something someday.

Strawberry milk tea or taro, usually!

there's a lot of employers that don't take art seriously and don't see any transferable skills when seeing it in past work experience

I struggled to get even minimum wage entry-level work in other fields after I was laid off from a movie studio, I've mostly just been in art and retail my whole life

I've barely watched any Dr. Who at all and I'm having no trouble following the story, AND I'm enjoying this immensely as someone who loves toons :D