'Terrifying' AI movie posters spark outrage and raise serious concerns: 'People still seem to believe [they] are real'

The ubiquity of artificial intelligence-derived art on the internet is increasingly concerning.

To people who are aware of the problem and have seen examples, it's easy to spot and dismiss. To those who may not be savvy social media users, it can be deceiving.

In r/crappyoffbrands, a Redditor shared a series of fake movie posters that had all the hallmarks of AI. "These absolutely terrible AI posters all over Facebook that people still seem to believe are real," they wrote.

Many of the nine screenshots seem fine at first glance and even ignite a spark of excitement. Look closer, though, and you'll see nonsensical AI text, including "Onie Morts Up Sum Homer," unnatural or even translucent body parts (mostly hands and eyes), and nonexistent or duplicated actors — the promise of Chris Rock, for example, without a Black person in sight.

AI has proved valuable in other endeavors and could even help save lives by improving weather forecasting. But its use requires significant energy, which often comes from the burning of dirty fuels that contributes to the warming of the planet and negative health outcomes as well as a mass loss of biodiversity and increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather.

The demands of AI, for example, are expected to contribute to the doubling of data center power consumption from 2022 to 2026. The figure will reach 1,000 terawatts, which equals the energy used by Japan in one year, according to Yale Environment 360. Data centers also churn through billions of gallons of fresh water, which is used to cool their equipment.

"These look very detailed, AI generated typography too," a user said of the fake movie posters. "I would fall for it at a first glance. S*** is terrifying."

At least they were relatively harmless. Other AI applications have featured bewildering anatomical and bodily function illustrations, false information about news, and dangerous advice.

"Calling Tom Cruise 'Jack Ransom' is funny af to me," one commenter wrote.

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In response to another user who pointed out that there were multiple Edwards and Bellas pictured on the poster for a supposed "Twilight" movie, someone said, "I like how the AI seemingly had a stroke trying to write the title."

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