it's a rather simple formula, and it is most oft placed within the mathematics of money [easier to understand than all the rather mixed & complex feelings on this subject]...

Rendo offers its servers for free to all the hobbyists here - but still, those servers cost monies, as does all overhead, such as staff, programmers, developers, etc.

AI eats into monies in terms of people not buying as many assets perhaps has once they were.  also, due to the flood of AI images, and people's own individual moral code, Rendo has lost some vendors and other hobbyists who were also buying assets.

the difference between say a flood of AI vs. a flood of nude 3D models is that the creators of said model have been properly compensated.  many images that fed, or feed, into AI were scraped and culled from creators without their permission, and without fair compensation.  who has NOT seen at least a few AI images with vestiges of the original artist's signature kinda distorted and messed up from the AI algorithm?  those creators haven't said 'yea, use my stuff for free, but please mess up my signature, or make sure it has been obliterated entirely'.  if a creator does sell say a piece of their own artwork, there are terms that are attached to that sale, most notably that copyright thing. even mass consumption stock photos come with fair-usage terms and/or a license, though they lack the artist's signature.

even buying 3D assets doesn't mean you actually own them.  you have simply purchased a license to use them.  they are protected under copyright.

AI art is not 'worthless' - it simply hasn't been paid for, or licensed for use...

bottom line: monies, but what should be ahead of even that is respect... yanno, the kind you would want others to exhibit for/towards your own work

please note my post is not directed towards any one person in the thread or on this site.  i am merely trying to address some of the issues surrounding this topic...