Artists ‘Feel Sick’ Over Council’s Use Of ‘AI Slop’ To Promote Town’s 400th Anniversary

Local artists in Scarborough have strongly criticised the council for using artificial intelligence instead of local talent to design a deckchair trail celebrating the town's 400th anniversary.

Artists and creatives have hit out at a council’s use of ‘AI slop’ to promote Scarborough's cultural and creative history on its 400th anniversary.

Dozens of artists and residents in Scarborough have said they are “deeply disappointed” by a council’s decision to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create the designs on a Giant Deckchair Trail aimed at promoting and celebrating 400 years of England’s original seaside resort.

The 10 deckchairs are dotted across the seafront, heritage spots, and attractions as part of a walking trail. Each chair aims to shine a spotlight on a different moment from Scarborough’s remarkable past and is accompanied by a sign with a QR code for more information.

North Yorkshire Council said it commissioned the work from an agency in the county which “used AI alongside the skills, experience and creativity of its team”.

The council’s corporate director for community development, Nic Harne, said the authority had been “delighted by the positive public response to the Scarborough 400 deckchair trail”.

Not all residents are impressed and dozens of locals said it was a “missed opportunity to involve the community” and highlighted the environmental impact of using AI.

Adrian Riley, a Scarborough-based artist who designed the mural on the side of the Central Tramway Station and on the front of the town’s railway station, described the design as “AI slop”.

He said:

“We’re a tourism destination and an important part of that is people visiting for culture.

“You can get AI anywhere in the world, but you can only visit the workshops, galleries, exhibitions, and studios of many local artists by actually being here in Scarborough.”

The artist, who works on public art commissions across the UK, added:

“If Scarborough is perceived as generic as everywhere else, what reason do people have to come here? Let’s emphasise the uniqueness of this town, including its creative community.”

Hannah Grahamslaw, a 25-year-old artist and illustrator who produces Scarborough-themed artwork, has spent the last few years working on commissioned projects that promote the local area.

“This deckchair project is exactly the sort of thing that six months ago I would have been paid to do,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

She said:

“But it’s not just [the impact] on own employment that offends me, my concerns are mainly that all AI ‘art’ is stolen from artwork created by real artists, it is is damaging to the environment, it takes jobs from artists, without whom North Yorkshire would be an extremely dull and grey place, and it is so ugly in terms of generic art style that it makes me feel a bit sick.”

Sally Gorham, Chair of Scarborough Studios CIO, said the use of AI was “particularly disappointing” as the seaside resort is campaigning to be the UK’s inaugural Town of Culture.

Speaking to the LDRS, the council’s corporate director for community development, Nic Harne, defended the temporary installation and said the authority would welcome input from local creatives on developing a more permanent trail.

He added:

“We continue to support local artists through a wide range of cultural programmes, events and initiatives across North Yorkshire.

”The deckchair trail is a temporary installation as part of the Scarborough 400 celebrations, and we will review its success once the programme has come to an end. However, the reaction so far suggests there may be an opportunity to develop a similar project in the future.

”If we do, we would welcome input from Scarborough’s artists and creative sector on how a more permanent trail could be developed.”

Resident Alex Waller said:

“The scenes aren’t even accurate as to what they’re supposed to show. They’re not made by an artist, they’re made by someone in an office with zero creativity of their own.”

Local artist Ms Grahamslaw added:

“I would suggest organisations such as Visit North Yorkshire employ local artists in future as we know what Scarborough Castle looks like, because we live here.”