The benefits of illustration in the age of AI 

9 November 2026

This blog is part of our AI and Young People work, exploring creative options for arts organisations and schools to safely share the content of their work online due to increasing risks and implications of Generative AI. We aim to highlight the range of perspectives from creative practitioners and organisations. By exploring different approaches, we can consider new ways of recording experiences, stories and learning.

For the past decade I’ve been illustrating at events where photography isn't appropriate. I’ve found my skills most useful in community spaces, where people are vulnerable or where the appearance of a phone or camera would be intrusive. It’s allowed people to feel free to dance, to talk openly, or to put their head in their hands in despair, without the worry of their photos appearing online. Drawing these scenes instead has allowed for grassroots charities to share ethical imagery that shows what’s really happening in their space, without the need to blur faces. This means that people, and their emotions, can be fully represented in impact reports and on social media. 

The advancement of AI has made this practice even more important. Recently I was commissioned to illustrate employees at Refugee Women of Bristol (RWOB). The charity has taken down photos of staff from their website and asked me to illustrate the team instead. Layla Ismail from RWOB said, “We have decided to minimise the amount of photos of staff members and volunteers that we use online, to ensure safety and avoid images being adapted with AI. Niki illustrates our yearly dance event and it’s a great way for people to be represented, so we’ve decided to bring this approach to our profile page.”

What was important for this project was that the people in the drawings should absolutely recognise themselves, but that someone passing them in the street wouldn’t know who they were - so their body language, clothing and personality were captured but zoom in on the faces and they are more generic. This keeps them safe when out and about, but also means their photos can’t be fed into AI and adapted.

In some cases, people have not wanted to be represented in imagery in any way, and this should be respected too. At a recent talk with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe that I hosted at my “Searching for the Future” reportage exhibition, I spent time pre-event getting permission for photography from the panel, but the musical conclusion to the night meant that other people spontaneously came on stage, and of course this was my favourite photo of the evening! So, after the event I contacted guests for permission to share the image. This resulted in me replacing the photo of a child with an illustration and removing one person entirely from the scene by drawing myself in over the top. The image is still an honest representation of the night, but one that absolutely protects the anonymity of one guest.

Personally, I don’t believe that respecting anonymity should only be extended to those who are obviously vulnerable. When I first moved to Bristol, I did so without any mention on social media or my public business pages. A gym I joined soon shared photos of me in a class, despite me having asked them not to. And a public event I’d been commissioned to illustrate at, led their coverage with a photo of me (that I didn’t know had been taken) drawing the people around me, meaning none of us were in fact anonymous. I’d much rather that events were opt-in to photos rather than opt-out.

I’m seeing discussions online about protecting children by stopping their photos being adapted with generative AI, and I think this is really important. Recently I was commissioned to illustrate at a cricket tournament at a school, creating personalised artwork meant that children could share images of themselves enjoying the event, but they weren’t putting recognisable photos in the public realm. Since then, I’ve seen lots of targeted advertising for private schools on my Instagram feed, and I’m always surprised how many schools use photos of children in their adverts. Just because the parents have given consent the images are used, but I can’t help but wonder if the children will agree with that decision in 10 years' time. I’m hoping to work with more schools to create illustrated imagery for these purposes.

I’m hoping that in this new world of ours that more businesses lean into illustration. Ethical considerations aside, original artwork offers so much flexibility. Whilst it can be used instead of photography to capture a split second, it also allows hours' worth of information to combine into one powerful image. I spent some time with Bristol Refugee Rights and provided them with one artwork that showed food being made, games being played, a sewing club and an information area all at once, something not physically possible with a camera. And for Refugees Welcome North Somerset, months of imagery was combined to appear in my exhibition. CEO Donna King said, “And the lows….the crises…they were so many and so dramatic that if they weren’t captured forever on paper, I’m not sure I’d believe them myself. Two years of RWNS activities documented with love, dignity and jarring accuracy. Niki has captured key moments in our existence.”

Alongside my documentary reportage work I have a commercial illustration practice where I create illustrations of guests at private corporate events, and marketing and advertising imagery for the luxury market. For many years I saw these two sides to my business as completely separate and couldn’t see any similarities. But I now realise it’s my approach that's the same. Whether I’m collaborating with an international brand or a community group, I offer a really human approach alongside complete discretion, professionalism and respect to the people I’m capturing on the page. 

About the author

Niki Groom is an illustrator, artist & visual storyteller, based in Bristol UK. She brings stories and ideas to life for brands, charities, and community groups. Over the last three decades, her creative career has evolved across high-street fashion design, luxury commercial illustration, and live reportage, building a reputation for authenticity and becoming a trusted creative partner for both global luxury brands and grassroots humanitarian organisations. Today, her focus remains rooted in the quiet craft of hand-painted work, creating art that connects people. If you were happy to add this as a link to the mention of my exhibition that would be great.

www.nikigroom.com

@_nikigroom

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