

I’m starting to think we need to reframe this a little. Stop referring to “artists”. It’s not just lone, artistic types that are getting screwed here, it’s literally everyone who has content that’s been exposed to the Internet. Artists, programmers, scientists, lawyers, individuals, companies… everyone. Stop framing this as “AI companies versus artists” and start talking about it as “AI companies versus intellectual property right holders”, because that’s what this is. The AI companies are choosing to ignore IP law because it benefits them. If anyone, in any other context, tried to use this as a legal defense they would be laughed out of the courtroom.
My experiences with these kinds of headhunters has been “mixed”, trending toward “poor”. Most were useless. They would show up with “opportunities” then I’d never hear from them again. These people/companies typically, as I understand it, work “in bulk”. They’re just harvesting as many resumes as they can, throwing buckets of them at employers and hoping something sticks. They aren’t really going to put any meaningful effort into helping you.
That said, a rare few have really stepped up. The last one I worked with back around 2012, really went out of his way to get me in with a company and secure me a good offer. So they do exist. But, in my experience at least, they are rare.
You’re in a tricky position. You’re looking for a relatively senior position. You’ll be up against a fair amount of competition for somewhat rare roles with very specific requirements. There’s just not going to be a ton of those director+ level roles out there at any given time. But don’t give up and don’t give up hope. Those recruiters do exist, as do those jobs. Good luck!