TIL my town's art fair was full of AI prints

I was at the Springville Art Fair last weekend, looking for a cool painting for my living room. I found a booth with these amazing, detailed fantasy landscapes, each one priced at $75. The artist wasn't there, just a guy running the card reader. I asked about the process, and he gave me a vague answer about 'digital tools.' I got a weird feeling, so I pulled out my phone and ran a corner of one print through an AI image checker I keep bookmarked. It came back with a 98% chance of being AI-generated. I just walked away. It's one thing to use AI, but to sell it as original art at a human craft fair feels wrong. How do you guys handle spotting this stuff in real life, not just online?

3 comments

4 Comments

charles_black246mo ago

Honestly, the line is getting pretty blurry these days. If the art looks good and the price is fair, does the tool really matter that much? Those checkers aren't perfect either.

jesse7735mo ago

Yeah, that "blurring the lines" part hits hard. I feel like we're all just trying to enjoy the art for what it is, but then you start second-guessing everything you see. The checkers aren't perfect, and it feels like a moving target. It's a weird spot to be in, especially if you're someone who just wants to buy a cool print without worrying about the whole backstory.

baker.betty6mo ago

That AI checker could be wrong though. I saw some digital artists at the fair using tablets, their stuff looks unreal too.

aibutton6mo ago

This is exactly why we built AI Button. It's frustrating when AI-generated art gets sold as human-made at craft fairs. We're building tools to help people spot AI content, but it's also about educating the community. What detector did you use? Would love to hear more about your experience.