Beware AI Generated Images and
Rescue Scams
NOTE:
The pictures on this page are AI generated -
they are NOT real!
*this is a
fake, AI-generated dog*
Let’s talk about Artificial Intelligence and shelter dogs! 
AI-generated images are still a novelty, but it’s shocking how
quickly the tool is progressing. Which can be exciting but poses
serious ethical concerns.
A year ago, I prompted a small AI generator to create images of
“sad shelter dogs.” The results were wonky, weird, AI couldn’t
decide where the dog ended, and the cage begun (see comments
below). I LOVED those results because there was something poetic
about them. Knowing how long shelter dogs spend in their cages, it
made sense a “computer” couldn’t differentiate between them and
their environment. I turned a few into oil paintings for my
exhibit last October (see comments).
Today, this is what the exact same prompt gets me! The portrait of
the dog is perfection. I don’t know if I should feel awe or be
scared. Especially since this means my days as an artist might be
counted.
This could be a great tool for rescues or shelters wanting to
populate their website with high quality images that don’t
necessarily need to be a real dog (like stock images). But it also
means that the line between reality and fiction is now almost
undistinguishable. Technically this means fake rescues could
attempt at raising money using fake dogs and situations entirely
created by AI.
As a rule of thumb, beware of the beautiful photos you see
floating around these days! Many are 100% computer generated. You
can tell because they almost feel “too perfect” and if you check
the little details, you’ll see swirls and weird artefacts (humans
with 6 fingers or an extra arm) though AI is getting more accurate
by the minute! It’s important to educate yourself and protect
yourself.
Original post by Sophia Gamand, March 29, 2023 @
2:43pm
https://www.facebook.com/SophieGamand/posts/pfbid02RiQ5wFB9Xw9erVPbns1pYV1nGMSFmwZDtqs6qmbL48dwhusxhhKsopBdMd8rgw38l
Thank you to Sophie Gamand for permission to use her post and the
AI generated artwork to help educate new puppy buyers. Sophie is
an award-winning photographer, artist and advocate for rescue
dogs. You can find out more about her and her work on her website
https://www.sophiegamand.com
Some additional thoughts from Sophie on identifying bad breeders.
These blog posts are well worth your time.
How
to Spot a Bad breeder.... or a Bad Rescue
How
to Spot a Bad Breeder (slides) You can download the slides
which are a great tool for educating others.
NOTE: The pictures on this page are
AI generated - they are NOT real!