The mayor of Australia’s second biggest city’s desperate attempt to get residents excited about dozens of potential new parks has been completely derailed by the use of creepy AI-generated concept images.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece took to social media on Sunday to share a series of AI-generated images of some of the parks he’s promised to create if re-elected next month.
Cr Reece has vowed to transform the CBD into the ‘Garden City’ by opening 28 new parks if he returns to the top job.
But the plan backfired after the AI images left residents more concerned than excited for the new greenery.
The images showed a number of confusing errors, including two people laying on the ground metres away from young children playing, a man with two legs melded into one, and several extra arms, sparking a range of reactions from baffled Aussies.
‘What is your policy on dealing with these mutant beings infiltrating Melbourne in your photographs?’ one commented.
‘Bro, you need to get these people to a hospital,’ another said.
A third quipped: ‘Is this after the nukes hit Melbourne, nature takes it back, and only the mutants survive?’
Nick Reece, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, on Sunday shared a series of AI-generated images of a few of the parks he’s promised to create if re-elected
The images showed a number of confusing errors, including two people laying on the ground, a man with two legs melded into one, and several extra arms
Melbourne City Council will hold its election in October with Mr Reece vowing to turn the Victorian capital into the ‘Garden City’ by opening 28 new parks
A fourth wrote: ‘My favourite is this guy who appears to be taking his pet shoe for a walk.’
‘Why is there a dead person in your park?’ another said.
Others questioned why Cr Reece chose to use AI-generated images rather than hiring a professional to illustrate his grand vision.
‘Please hire an actual digital illustrator,’ one suggested.
Another asked: ‘Do you not have enough money to pay concept artists?’
Cr Reece defended his use of AI by jokingly replying: ‘No humans were harmed in the making of these renders.’
He claimed the new park initiative will see new green spaces in almost all Melbourne neighbourhoods.
‘Victoria was once known as the Garden State, I want Melbourne to be the Garden City. This is the biggest addition to our city’s parks and gardens since Charles La Trobe mapped out Melbourne’s parks in the 1840s,’ Cr Reece said.
‘Every great city is defined by its parks and gardens, and with this plan, we are taking Melbourne’s green spaces to the next level.
‘Nearly every area of Melbourne will receive at least one new park or green space under this initiative – making our city an even better and greener place to live.’
Commenters questioned why Mr Reece chose to use AI-generated images rather than hiring someone to properly illustrate his parks
One of the images appeared to show a man ‘walking his pet shoe’ while others had extra arms and legs
The Melbourne Lord Mayor defended his use of AI by jokingly replying: ‘No humans were harmed in the making of these renders’
Some of the spaces set to be transformed include the Banana Alley Vaults, under the West Gate Freeway in Southbank, Moonee Ponds Creek, and the boundary of North Melbourne and West Melbourne.
On top of the areas above, five new or upgraded parks will be created across the central city and Docklands with the first conversion hitting Brown Alley square.
The initiative will also open grants to the owners of existing buildings to make publicly accessible rooftop gardens or green walls, reform permitting to allow more homeowners and businesses to plant gardens on footpaths and laneways and support building owners and businesses in purchasing more plants.
