When walking down Kirkwood Avenue, you might see advertisements stuck to store windows or taped to poles that catch your eye with large, colorful fonts or illustrations that look almost too good.
If these flyers look a bit uncanny, there’s a good chance they’re AI-generated.
AI flyers, posters or invites seem to have become a cultural norm for people looking for a quick way to get their information out without creating a graphic themselves.
For artists, the growing use of AI imagery goes beyond a quick and easy poster. It raises concerns about creative opportunities and possible employment. The AI aesthetic is also becoming a signal to viewers that little human design went into the advertisement.
The rise of AI isn't only on a global level; it's local, with art students now forced to compete with AI in the job market. Indiana University art history major and sophomore Marlee Werner sees those concerns developing further in the art spaces.
“As someone in the art world specifically, AI artworks are incredibly controversial and debated,” Werner said. “Many artists are made to compete with AI within the job market, losing valuable opportunities and possible commissions.”
AI advertisements can also prevent students from having personal connections to the local events being publicized. Picture being handed two flyers from different IU student organizations. One looks handcrafted by club members, filled with photos and small design choices that reflect the group’s personality. The other looks polished but formatted, without anything that feels specific to the organization behind it. Which one would you feel more connected to?
Connection extends beyond just people and the event, and choosing AI-generated art over work created by artists can hinder student organizations from connecting with Bloomington or IU student artists in their local communities.
In a survey done by the Los Angeles Times, 80% of a surveyed 378 verified professional visual artists said that they believe they compete with AI, and 77% added that it negatively impacted their career growth.
IU studio art major and sophomore Celia Molotiu said as an art student, she is seeing that loss of connection and the harm of relying on AI-generated art.
“AI also just makes the role of artists within a more connected and global world less, replacing illustrators for these images that are so clearly fake,” Molotiu said. “For me, it just takes away the charm and want to support things,”
The effects also aren't just limited to event flyers or get-involved invitations, but student artists are now struggling with finding creative outlets. The internet and social media are ways that student artists often come together to share their work and gain inspiration from one another, but AI-generated content is growing.
IU studio art major and junior Ella Bitar said she has noticed the growing presence of AI-generated images on social media platforms and how that can interfere with exchanges between artists.
“When looking for inspiration from other artists, one will often run into art made by AI rather than from a real person,” Bitar said. “I think situations like this can be harmful to art and artists in a couple ways, such as dulling creativity, reducing artist-to-artist interaction and community and taking artistic opportunities away from real people and putting them into the hands of an AI.”
At the end of the day, refraining from using AI for imagery won't only help promote artistic expression, but it gives local businesses and student organizations an opportunity to show that real thought, effort and care went into what they are putting out into their communities.
“When I see a flyer that is made with AI, I immediately assume that the event will be just as low effort, unenthusiastic and rushed as the flyer that advertises it,” Werner said, “Not every event, especially smaller scale events, needs a professional designer, but they should still require some level of care.”
Bitar agreed with Werner’s sentiment, saying AI prevents creativity in local art spaces.
“I think the AI flyers are always obviously AI, and it shows the laziness and lack of creativity behind the person making said posters,” Bitar said.
For small businesses, Molotiu said she understands that there may not always be enough time or resources to commission a local artist for every flyer or poster. However, resources like Canva and other online templates allow businesses to create something easily while still adding a personalized touch.
By choosing to create rather than generate, people may also discover new creative interests along the way. Designing a flyer, poster or invitation can introduce someone to art and encourage them to explore creative spaces they may not have considered before.
