A photo of a strange puzzle box sparked a debate about artificial intelligence and the implications of the technology.
The image, shared in r/Anticonsumption, showed someone in a store holding a 1,000-piece puzzle. The box featured a colorful depiction of the Eiffel Tower foregrounded by a cat on a railing, multifamily homes, and a kind of park setting with a pseudo-canal.
To some, it was an interesting scene with an engaging style. Others clearly saw an AI-generated work — even though artist Michael David Ward's name was on the box.
"I found a puzzle that used crappy AI to create the image," the poster wrote. "As a graphic designer this makes me furious."
A number of commenters worried that people's inability to recognize AI-generated content was a bad sign for the future, while others took the debate a step further.
"I'm amazed this subreddit doesn't seem more anti AI," one user wrote. "You all are cool with AI pumping out tons of heartless crap at the expense of tons of electricity while no humans are getting paid for the work? Kind of disappointing in the 'anti useless consumption' subreddit."
Someone else said: "I'm sorry to hear about AI art being used everywhere. As someone who collects tarot and oracle decks, it's been very upsetting to see how hard-working artists have to compete with AI-generated decks."
That is the crux of the issue. Whether a certain image is generated by AI may not be worth discussing, though if we can't tell the difference, the value of human ingenuity and creativity could be wiped out.
In this case, Redditors looked into Ward and determined he had embraced the technology, which can help creators generate ideas and produce artwork — or take over the whole process. This can diminish an artist's earnings; if a corporation is at the helm, the jobs of designers, creators, editors, and more are at risk.
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The way it looks 😍 Some companies are leaning into this ethical dilemma, and one startup even developed an ad campaign around the idea of eliminating humans from the workforce. Coca-Cola, Toys R Us, and others have been criticized for turning to AI instead of people, and artists themselves have misstepped too.
AI requires vast amounts of energy and natural resources, and the results often leave a lot to be desired. No wonder folks are outraged when it's actively harming people and the planet and not making life better in some way.
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