Strong criticisms were lobbed at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources after it announced the results of an AI art contest held to mark National Dugong Conservation Day on Monday, with the winning image showing a dugong with what appeared to be four legs.
The department later responded to the backlash, apologising for disappointment caused by the contest.
The contest, “DMCR Play Day: Create Dugong Images with AI Art”, was held under the theme “Protect the Dugong Habitat”. The department’s Facebook page launched the contest on Aug 3 and announced the results on Saturday.
Beyond criticism of the promotion of AI-generated artwork, the result sparked widespread condemnation after the winning entry appeared to contain biological inaccuracies.
The mother-and-calf pair in the image appeared to have four legs, while the seagrass and surrounding marine life were also depicted inaccurately, said several internet users.
Comments on social media included remarks that, as a government agency directly involved in science and marine conservation, the department should not have rewarded an AI-generated image containing inaccurate information.
One of the selection criteria stated on the contest poster was that the work should be “realistic”.
According to the department, the contest awarded 10 prizes in total, with the winner receiving 3,000 baht.
The department notably did not feature the criticised image in its post marking National Dugong Conservation Day on Monday.
Responding to the situation, the department said AI art was used in the contest to allow people to participate regardless of their artistic skills. The submitted works were judged on how well they reflected the theme, creativity, visual appeal and composition, it said.
Many of the images showed mother-and-calf pairs, which the department said highlighted family bonds and population growth. The shortlisted works were put to a public vote based on Facebook “likes”.
The department nonetheless thanked participants for their feedback and apologised for any shortcomings, stressing that the main goal was to raise awareness of dugong conservation and encourage people to help protect their habitat.
The comment section under the responding post has been turned off.
