‘All Of This Is AI Art?’ Bengaluru Man Faces Backlash For Selling Paintings On Street

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has touched almost every domain and is predominantly used in different sectors today. From IT segment to entertainment industry and more, usage of AI has seen rampant increase. Recently, a Bengaluru-based artist, Ashok Reddy selling AI-generated art in the city has instigated an online debate. The artist took to X (formerly Twitter) to share about his stall featuring AI-generated art. “For the first time, we opened a stall on Church Street to sell my designs, and we sold out 60-70% of our stock,” he wrote.

“At around 4:30 PM, we closed our first sale and haven’t looked back since. As the day progressed, more people began visiting our stall. From 8:00 to 10:00 PM, Church Street was at its peak, bustling with so many visitors that there was hardly any space to walk,” he wrote in one of his posts. “We ended up selling around 60-70% of our stock, even though this was my first time. I learned a lot from the crowd!” Reddy added in the following tweet.

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But, his post grabbed the internet’s attention for unexpected reasons. Many online users criticised him for selling ‘stolen’ and ‘lazy’ art. In the comments section, several users argued that art generated through AI lacks originality, creativity and aesthetic essence. “These are NOT your designs, they’re made using AI you have put in no effort in creating them!” mentioned a user. “So basically, they printed the AI generated images, framed it and sold it! Well Done!” commented a user.

“AI generated content can never be called “My designs”…. Have some shame and sell something good or original. I swear the first thing that comes to AI bro’s mind is to capitalise on someone else’s work,” wrote another.

On the other hand, some users supported and appreciated Reddy’s art work. “Keep doing the great work; love the hustle. Will surely get one if I visit church street. Don’t be bothered by the losers in the comments. They won’t do anything themselves and have problems when someone else does it as well,” said a user. “Wow, those are too beautiful. Are those paintings or digital designs?,” wrote another. Some even enquired about the presence of online stores.