Despite many people being against AI in many scenarios, it seems there are a few who still use it regardless of what the audience may think. In this case, we’re referring to the Maryland Department of the Environment, which allegedly used an AI-generated image to raise awareness about cleaning the harbor, as it seems there is a busy weekend ahead for Baltimore. And while the intentions behind this image were good, it seems some residents didn’t like it enough, so the Department of the Environment has already removed it.
User RemRemBooBear from Reddit shared the image, originally posted on the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Facebook page. The image, which many believe was made with AI, was meant to raise awareness about those going to the Inner Harbor this weekend. The post mentioned that the Blue Angels would be in town, along with Sail250, so the department kindly asked everyone to keep the bay clean, pick up trash, or even pack everything up if they had the chance. However, instead of eliciting a positive reaction at the time, it had the opposite effect.
According to many Facebook and Reddit users, the image looked AI-generated, prompting criticism of the government, who they believed should not be using AI for these announcements. It also seems that the backlash was so big because the original image has now been taken down on the Facebook page. You can only view the screenshot in the post above.
Maryland Residents Wonder Why There Are No Artists On Retainer for These Announcements
While the alleged AI-generated image was the main topic, OP also asked whether the government has any artists on retainer for these situations. According to some, it doesn’t seem like the case.
“I worked in a (federal) government office once that used local artists to do something like this. It ended in public complaints and an IG investigation into why we were spending taxpayer money on cartoons. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.“
Others, however, noted that the image appeared to have been made with AI and criticized the government for allowing it, especially since it came from the Department of the Environment, and, as has been proven, AI harms the environment significantly.
“The State has been pushing AI use quite a bit in recent months.“
“The hell am I looking at?“
In the end, it seems that the government realized almost no one liked the image and took it down from its official Facebook page.
