AI tarot decks: how to spot handmade art, and why it matters

What does ‘made with AI’ mean for AI tarot decks?

Look a little closer and ‘made with AI’ turns out to cover very different things. At one end are decks where nearly every image was generated by a computer from a few lines of text. At the other end are artists who paint or draw everything by hand and use AI, at most, for a small task in the background, such as testing a colour combination. Between those two extremes lies a whole range.

A maker might sketch the base by hand and let software tidy up the finish. Another builds a card from generated pieces and then paints over them. A third uses the technology only for the layout of the guidebook. So when someone tells you a deck contains AI, you still know very little. What matters is not whether technology was used, but where and how much. Only then can you judge a deck for what it really is.

Why many people choose handmade decks

For part of the tarot world the answer is simple: they want to hold the work of a human being. That is a perfectly understandable wish. Behind a handmade deck there is often someone who studied the symbolism of the cards for years and chose a colour, a glance or a posture on purpose. Every card carries an intention, and you feel that intention again the moment you lay the cards out.

Something personal plays a part too. For many people a deck is not a picture on the wall but a tool they pick up again and again. If you feel a bond with the maker, you read differently. You know there is a person on the other side who wanted to say something, and that awareness often gives a reading more depth. For these readers the artist’s hand is not a detail but the very reason to choose one deck over another. Think of the independent makers behind our indie tarot decks, or read how indie decks look in a new light in our earlier story. An artist deck like the Blood Moon Tarot by Sam Guay shows the maker’s hand in every card.

Does AI in a tarot deck make it worth less?

Still, it is too easy to say handmade is good and AI is bad. Some decks that used AI look lovely, and their owners are happy with them. A tool does not decide the value of the result on its own. A good deck is one that suits you, with images that tell you something and that you enjoy working with. That can happen just as well with a deck that used technology as with one painted entirely by hand.

Where it does grate, it grates for two reasons. The first is how some AI was trained: on the work of makers who never gave permission and were never paid. That is a real concern, and artists are right to draw attention to it. The second may weigh even more for you as a buyer. It grates most when AI is kept quiet.

What it really comes down to: transparency

This is the heart of it. The point is not handmade against AI, but something much simpler: are you allowed to know how your deck was made? Even large players have stumbled here. When a well known international card publisher turned out to have used AI in promotional images without saying so, attentive fans spotted it at once, and the company had to take back its earlier words in public. It shows how sensitive this is, and how much people want to know where they stand.

When you know how a deck came about, you can choose on facts instead of a guess. One person does not mind that technology was used, as long as it is clear. Another wants the work of a human being and nothing else. Both choices are fine, but you can only make them honestly when the information is on the table. Transparency takes nothing away from anyone. It gives you room to choose what suits you.

How to choose a tarot deck that fits you

Start with the maker’s own description. Do they tell you how the deck was made? Is an artist named? Is there anything about the process, or does that stay strikingly vague? A maker who is proud of the craft is usually glad to talk about it. Silence need not mean anything is wrong, but it is a reason to ask more or look a little harder before you order.

Ask yourself, too, what matters more to you. Is it mainly the feeling that a person stands behind every card? Then look for decks where the artist and the process are clearly in view. Do you care most that the images speak to you and that you read comfortably with them? Then the technology may play a smaller part in your decision. There is no right or wrong answer, only the one that is true for you. Either way, buy from a source you trust, so you never end up with a counterfeit deck.

Where tarot.nl stands

At tarot.nl we try to be as honest about this as we can. If we know a deck was made with AI, we say so. If we are not certain, we make no assumptions, because guessing would only mislead you. We would rather be open about what we know and honest about what we do not than offer a false certainty that does not hold. That way you stay at the wheel.

We believe you have the right to a complete, honest choice, and that the real maker deserves the credit that belongs to them. Whether you go for handmade work on purpose or do not mind that technology is involved, you deserve to choose with the facts in hand. That is what we stand for, card by card and deck by deck.

Take your time to find a deck that fits your values and your taste in images.

Want to read on before you choose?

• Beginner’s guide to choosing a tarot deck
• Which tarot deck suits you? How to choose one
• How do I recognise a trustworthy webshop for tarot cards?