@thomasfuchs I really think in many cases this has little to do with a growing backlash, conviction or even ethics, as it is a branding strategy to capture a market/consumer segment which is forming. Just like selling plus-size sports fashion (or Pride-themed marketing/signalling), sure there're some benefits to people in those segments, but from the POV of the companies/startups, this is mainly about tapping into and capturing sizable demographics which might already feel alienated by other competitors and are currently left in a void. In other words, it's just marketing working as intended... (not to say that notable ethical exceptions exist of course!)

Also, in the case of Cara (the poster child example of this trend), their "No AI" is actually very much a conditional "no", to be reviewed in the future... From their T&Cs: "...will continue to make adjustments and updates to our policies as our platform grows and the situation around AI-generated media evolves." (https://cara.app/terms)