City Beautifying Streets Ko with AI

[u/Barotrawma]

Found in Davie, FL. Apparently this is part of their “city beautification” project. Generally, a common sight in Broward county are streetside power boxes that have been painted or decorated by local artists (usually for free!), but I suppose Davie opted to DIY it with AI slop 🤦 I love the flamingos on the lower right popping up like yassified fungi.

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[u/johnman300]

Yeah, like the couldn't have gotten some stock photo to use at least. Had to garbage AI it.

[u/FeelMyBoars → u/johnman300]

The ones that look like a bush are fine. It fits in as much as a big box can. It's basically camouflage which is harder to cover with graffiti. Just get 3 different ones and randomize placement. No need to use AI.

[u/Hakazumi → u/johnman300]

You actually have to pay for stock photos. That's why they didn't use one.

[u/Barotrawma → u/Hakazumi]

The worst part is that usually they ask for volunteers to do it for free or some other non-monetary compensation. For example, I painted one near a coffee shop & my city compensated me with a free drinks for a year coupon in collaboration with that business. It’s not hard!

[u/kmanzilla]

What is it that pushes us towards "that's AI"? I can always tell but I can't tell why.

[u/Barotrawma → u/kmanzilla]

For me it’s usually the shading/lighting. It feels too “cinematic” and unnatural if that makes sense? Text is almost always a dead giveaway, too. I noted in the description that it tried generating more flamingos at the bottom but they barely show up lol

[u/SadLilBun → u/Barotrawma]

But there are editing tools and painting styles that can do this? Also AI doesn’t always have that quality. But AI learns from real art, so automatically assuming something is AI can result in accusing actual artists of creating AI work, when they didn’t. It’s already happened.

[u/HiroshiTakeshi → u/SadLilBun]

Guy who draws here.

It is AI, be for real. You literally have a bisected neck flying in the background.

The issue with AI is that it's fairly easy to see it because of how smooth it is. Non artists tend to go with "smoother = better" ideology, which is why so many pictures of humans look "perfect" to an almost uncanny level.

The dead giveaways are generally either text or background elements. They're blurring the background but general details are generally fucked up, they're just most of the time hidden by the blur.

There is literally a flying neck right behind the main focus and the chick is missing a piece of its head. It's fairly easy to point them out regardless of this with habit. For the only reason that majority of artists with this style were pretty rare or hidden and you had to dig them out to have something looking similar. Now, they're on every corner selling stuff for cheap, do you really think anyone with such skills would sell stuff for 3 dollars? Of course not. That's why cities use AI now. Because most are cheapskate on that side of things.

[u/Barotrawma → u/SadLilBun]

I can tell it’s AI because it has strange errors in it, I.e tiny flamingos failing to be generated correctly at the bottom of the image and in the background. If an actual artist did this it would not look like ass. I’ve also never falsely accused any artists of using AI, either.

[u/Kristianushka]

And apparently this is better than having people decorate this with street art and graffiti… Let’s keep supporting AI slop 👎 it surely beautifies cities more than “vandalism”

[u/Clean-Income8864 → u/Kristianushka]

Ai will always be cheaper than a person who decides which artists are allowed to spray without consequences, so choosing pics and just "rolling" those out is much cheaper, welcome to capitalism in times we don't have to decide who gets to eats first so only those who have the money decide who eats.

[u/Barotrawma]

edit: my phone had a stroke at the last second lol, it’s supposed to be Now* not Ko*

[u/SummitOfTheWorld]

Mine hires artists who are willing to paint over them.

[u/HonoderaGetsuyo]

At this point I really hope a solar flare hits us and completely fuck over every generative AI in existence

Edit: the AI bros are downvoting

[u/Barotrawma → u/HonoderaGetsuyo]

Bouta start throwing things at the sun with high hopes

[u/Aotto1321 → u/HonoderaGetsuyo]

Fortunately that wont happen

[u/lawdot74]

Local artists get permission and paint these traffic light control boxes in our area. Some are excellent.

[u/Ivrik95]

But it seems like a nice picture. It does not offend me

[u/Barotrawma → u/Ivrik95]

I understand your perspective. My issue is that these boxes are normally used as canvases for really lovely paintings of nature, animals, our community etc by local artists. I myself have been fortunate enough to be commissioned to paint one. It feels like a slap in the face to take that away from us artists, especially when the product doesn’t look nearly as nice as one a community member could make, you know what I mean?

[u/Joates87 → u/Barotrawma]

Understandable concerns, but you should be reaching out to those in charge of this initiative.

Perhaps go to local council meeting and voice your concerns.

[u/Barotrawma → u/Joates87]

That’s a good idea. I’m not a resident or work in this town so I’m not sure if that will influence my options, but I’ll look into contacting someone or posting about it locally in a couple hours :)

[u/Ananyako → u/Ivrik95]

It just shows how lazy, soulless and unmotivated they are to actually make their community a "better place".