The rise of AI in popular culture has been a divisive issue for many, with some fearing it could usurp artists. But for every terrifyingly impressive AI generated image, we see another that shows that the tech has a long way to go.
A series of AI-generated images depicting the average American from US states was posted to Reddit, with an interesting mix of user responses ranging from horror to delight. While some pictures were a rather flattering depiction of the selected state, others were a little odd, to say the least. However, AI doesn't have to be the enemy, check out our collection of the best AI productivity tools, that will actually work in your favour.
Could Texas be anything other than a cowboy? (Image credit: u/ThrowRAConsistent)
Posted to r/midjourney the series of images feature "average" citizens from a number of iconic states. While you can probably imagine the sort of person that'll hail from Texas (a cowboy of course), other states have AI inhabitants that are a little further afield.
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Take Florida for example, where the average person is apparently some appalling bug-eyed, grey-skinned alien creature. I'd like to think this isn't an accurate representation of the average Floridian. Redditors seem to be in agreement, with one user saying "Some of these don’t even look human, let alone average."
I can't quite work out the inspiration behind this one. (Image credit: u/ThrowRAConsistent)
Some are a little more flattering, like the AI's rendition of the average Californian which created not one, but nine lovely ladies. Or take Hawaii, which features a wholesome smiling man wearing a pink lei garland. It's a little on the nose, but anything's better than Kansas' mascot.
Known as a large producer of corn, I'd expect a little nod to that detail in Kansas' identity, but the AI generator has taken that feature and well and truly run with it. The generator imagines the average Kansas inhabitant as a frightening corn-themed human/scarecrow hybrid, obviously nestled in a cornfield.
Creating these AI art monstrosities is certainly a fun (and chaotic) way to test the powers of artificial intelligence, but I think it still has a long way to go before it fully takes over. This was also the case with a recent AI poetry app that can supposedly create poems just from pictures, but again – don't put your pens down in a hurry.
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Natalie Fear is Creative Bloq's staff writer. With an eye for trending topics and a passion for internet culture, she brings you the latest in art and design news. Natalie also runs Creative Bloq’s Day in the Life series, spotlighting diverse talent across the creative industries. Outside of work, she loves all things literature and music (although she’s partial to a spot of TikTok brain rot).
