AI image of dugongs with legs wins prize, prompting criticism
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources’ artificial intelligence (AI) art competition faced criticism from Thai netizens after the winning image depicted unrealistic dugongs and their habitat. The department launched the AI art competition to mark National Dugong Conservation Day on August 17 each year and to raise awareness of environmental conservation. Entrants were asked … The story AI…
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources in Thailand held an artificial intelligence (AI) art competition to celebrate National Dugong Conservation Day. The competition aimed to raise awareness about environmental conservation and dugong habitats. Entrants were asked to create artwork depicting dugongs based on the theme of protecting their habitat.
The competition received criticism from netizens after the winning image depicted dugongs with legs and unrealistic seagrass. Dugongs do not have hind limbs, and seagrass in Thai waters has narrower, elongated leaves on drooping stems. The winning image's creator remained anonymous. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources launched multiple campaigns to highlight the importance of environmental conservation during the National Dugong Conservation Day event on August 15.
Thailand currently has approximately 250 dugongs, with the majority residing in Trang province in the South. However, their population has significantly decreased due to starvation, primarily caused by the disappearance of seagrass. The remaining seagrass is being replanted by local communities in Trang and Krabi regions, with recent counts showing a slight increase.
Written by urgent.news from The Thaiger's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
