Council criticised for using AI instead of artists

A group of artists have criticised their local council's decision to use AI-generated designs created by an agency as part of a new art trail.

The Scarborough deckchair trail was commissioned as part of the town's 400th anniversary celebrations, with each deckchair depicting a moment in its history.

North Yorkshire Council said it had contracted an agency in the county which "used AI alongside the skills, experience and creativity of its team".

However, local artists said they were "deeply disappointed" by the decision and urged the authority to involve the creative community on its doorstep.

Adrian Riley, a Scarborough-based artist who designed the mural on the side of the Central Tramway Station, described the designs as "AI slop".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "We're a tourism destination and an important part of that is people visiting for culture.

"You can get AI anywhere in the world, but you can only visit the workshops, galleries, exhibitions, and studios of many local artists by actually being here in Scarborough."

The artist, who works on public art commissions across the UK, added: "If Scarborough is perceived as generic as everywhere else, what reason do people have to come here? Let's emphasise the uniqueness of this town, including its creative community."

Hannah Grahamslaw, a 25-year-old illustrator who produces Scarborough-themed artwork, has spent the last few years working on commissioned projects that promote the area.

"This deckchair project is exactly the sort of thing that six months ago I would have been paid to do," she said.

"But it's not just the impact on my own employment that offends me, my concerns are mainly that all AI "art" is stolen from artwork created by real artists.

"It is is damaging to the environment, it takes jobs from artists, without whom North Yorkshire would be an extremely dull and grey place."

The council's corporate director for community development, Nic Harne, defended the temporary installation and said the authority would welcome input from local creatives on developing a more permanent trail.

He added: "We continue to support local artists through a wide range of cultural programmes, events and initiatives across North Yorkshire.

"The deckchair trail is a temporary installation as part of the Scarborough 400 celebrations, and we will review its success once the programme has come to an end. However, the reaction so far suggests there may be an opportunity to develop a similar project in the future.

"If we do, we would welcome input from Scarborough's artists and creative sector on how a more permanent trail could be developed."

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.