Buying a custom portrait to honor a pet is meant to be something heartfelt. That helps explain why a post on r/mildlyinfuriating drew such a strong reaction after accusing a TikTok seller of presenting artificial intelligence-generated memorial portraits as real paintings sold as "fine art."
Here's what to know
According to the original poster in a Reddit thread, the seller made pet portraits with AI and then varnished the prints so they would resemble painted pieces.
"It's one thing to sell AI 'art' but to each to their own as long as it's clearly labelled," they wrote. "It's another when someone goes out of their way to try to pass it off as a real painting by even imitating paint texture with varnishing over the print."
The poster also said the thread included proof of AI use. One commenter pointed to the phrase "I pick the style," and the original poster showed a screenshot where the artist said they "painted with enhanced tools."
"They do this because anyone who lost their animal is more vulnerable," one commenter theorized. "[It's] just playing on people's grief really,"
More background
The controversy points to a broader trust problem online. When sellers blur the line between digitally generated and handmade work, it becomes harder for buyers to know what they are actually paying for.
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Some commenters questioned how closely the finished portraits matched the original pet photos, which added to suspicions that the images were generated rather than carefully painted.
"Pict looks the same, they just made it look like crap as an end result," one commenter said.
"Especially because I've dealt with pet loss that really took a toll on me last year," the OP wrote. "It's just deplorable for them to try to take advantage of it."
What can be done?
The clearest protection is to ask direct questions before ordering custom art. Buyers can request process photos, sketches, work-in-progress videos, or details about the medium being used.
It can also help to read listings carefully and watch for vague language. Terms that sound artistic but do not clearly say whether a piece is painted by hand, digitally illustrated, or AI-generated may be a red flag.
If a seller claims a work is handmade, buyers can compare multiple examples for repeated textures, strange details, or mismatched features that may suggest image generation. Reverse-image searches and checking comment sections for complaints may also help.
Where can I learn more?
Questions about AI-made creative work extend well beyond pet memorial portraits.
• Christie's drew backlash after its first AI art auction pushed machine-made work into the fine-art market.
• Mango faced criticism after replacing human models with AI in ads, which many shoppers called unethical.
• On Reddit, viewers debated whether an AI-generated short film showed creativity or a troubling future.
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