A Christmas banner will be removed from Redfern station, after observers raised concerns about the artwork being AI-generated.
The banner, erected between platforms 10 and 11 at the station, depicted an Australian Christmas scene, with Santa Claus on the beach in board shorts and thongs surrounded by a cast of local animals.
Redfern station’s Christmas banner will be removed after concerns were raised about its use of AI.Credit: Steven Siewert
However, on closer inspection, several “animals” in the cartoon showed obvious signs of being AI-generated.
One animal in the artwork appeared to be made from a koala’s head on a kangaroo’s torso, while the scene also featured a rodent with limbs not connected to its body, and kangaroos wearing bikini tops.
More than 3000 people liked a post on Reddit’s r/sydney forum describing the banner as “AI slop”.
Transport for NSW confirmed on Thursday afternoon that it had decided to remove the banner from the station’s Christmas display.
A koala’s head on a kangaroo’s body, a flag floating in the air and a rodent with detached limbs were among the issues identified with the banner. Credit: Steven Siewert
“Sydney Trains’ Redfern Station staff have displayed artwork for several years to help create a positive end-of-year atmosphere for our customers,” a spokesperson said.
“We received feedback about this year’s display and, in response, have decided to remove the artwork.”
The agency did not answer questions about whether the banner, which does not appear to be available for sale online, had been generated by Transport for NSW staff.
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Redfern station is one of several major stations on the Sydney Trains network decorated for the holiday season. This year’s decorations, which also include lights and a Christmas tree at the station’s Lawson Street Opal gates, were erected on November 8.
The controversial Christmas banner is not the first seasonal artwork pulled due to concerns about the use of AI this year.
In London, a large mural at Kingston-upon-Thames’ Riverside Walk has been removed after it also faced public backlash.
The artwork was described by the owner of the wall as a Christmas scene “inspired by the 16th-century Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder”, according to local online outlet London Centric.
However, several elements of the mammoth white Christmas scene were obviously the product of poor AI generation, including snowmen with several eyes, and dogs with chickens’ bodies.
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