A family member sparked a conversation on Reddit after their nephew received a soccer-themed coloring book made with artificial intelligence — a move brands are increasingly discovering doesn't earn them any fans.
AI-generated images are notorious for disturbing distortions, and this case is no different. After the family member posted two photos of the AI coloring book, commenters on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit pointed out how confusing the scenes were.
One commenter believed a session with the AI coloring book would unfortunately end in tears, writing: "Imagine being a kid trying to color this. … They'll be upset."
Others worried that AI coloring books would negatively impact the cognitive and creative development of younger generations. As Colour Your Streets highlights, coloring can boost spatial awareness, an essential skill for success in subjects such as math and science.
"This is awful because coloring books depend on clear boundaries!!" one person said after noticing that an AI-generated child had an arm that strangely melded into a teammate's.
"It defeats the purpose of a coloring book as a learning toy," someone else agreed. "It won't be a helpful aid to teach the sorts of spatial reasoning coloring is supposed to teach, because you'll invariably have to cross over lines or go out of bounds on a shape to make it look correct."
And while the Redditors overwhelmingly focused on AI's potential long-term cognitive effects on children as well as their general disdain for "AI slop," the stakes don't stop there.
As MIT Technology Review details, creating just one image with generative AI can require as much energy as it takes to ensure your smartphone is 100% charged, according to a study by AI startup Hugging Face and Carnegie Mellon University.
With dirty fuels still very much in the global energy mix, an AI-dependent world will experience a significant uptick in planet-warming pollution, contributing to more intense extreme weather and food insecurity — unless the sector succeeds in cleaning up AI, with a simplified algorithm and clean energy-powered data centers two promising solutions.
🗣️ Do you think kids spend too much time in front of screens?
🔘 Yes — it's rotting their brains 🧠
🔘 No — screens are the future 💻
🔘 There should be a good balance ⚖️
🔘 No idea — I don't have kids 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Nonetheless, even though some commenters suggested that the problem isn't AI artwork but too much screen time, Redditors mostly held firm that AI has no place in children's coloring books or other creative endeavors.
"Even if we ignore the ethical debate of AI, I think it's time we all admit it looks cheap. … Whenever I see it in ads or merchandise I just know it's bad quality," one person wrote.
"It's gutting when this could've been such a cool gig for a creative illustrator to make some legitimately cool art for kids. Why are we so desperate to automate the jobs which could be really enjoyable and expressive?" said another.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
