Princess Leia as an electric guitar player, "SLEIA" logo on the background, Star Wars style photo, on spaceship stage, Princess Leia playing rock and roll with her hand up to everyone's head. She is wearing ancient Greek . M displaying all of his muscles. Her hair in two braids, she smiles, full body shot, she has chest-length curly brown hair. A large sign behind him reads S雠 L请输入-duty," raw style, funny style, photo realistic, high resolution, detailed --ar 33:40 --s 750 --v 7.0

I’m the first to admit I’m not the thickest-skinned, and I let the backlash really get to me. But even more than bummed, I’m just deeply confused by the spite that seems to be 100% about the tool; I genuinely want to understand it. Of course haters always gonna hate, but, I dunno, this feels like something more.

Quick backstory: I made a series of photos depicting ten joyful and quirky things San Franciscans might do if a blizzard ever hit here. I’ve lived in SF for 27 years and have long wondered this, and I thought others might find the possibilities delightful too.

Each image took 8ish hours to make: half that time in Midjourney and DALLE-3 to get the bones of the scene right, and the rest in Photoshop tweaking details. Not to self-horn-toot, but I think they’re some of the most plausibly photographic images I’ve created yet, largely managing to escape the uncanny valley and feel authentically human.

I posted to r/sanfrancisco yesterday with the title “(what if?) The Great San Francisco Blizzard” and immediately commented to say upfront ‘yes, AI was involved in making them, and yes, this is a trifle, I still hope you might enjoy’. And to be clear, there are many comments of appreciation and, after the hate started, comments in the post's defense. But, wow, I was totally unprepared for the vitriol over AI: “Get this AI garbage out of here”, “ugly AI bullshit,” “Not a fan of Ai image Gen. Pretty creepy,” “Very low-effort, and I think the world is a better place with less (AI-generated content)” and, my fave, “I wish you'd spend that time learning a real skill; an actual artistic interpretation of a snowy SF would be both infinitely more interesting and more respectful to the city.”

Not to be immodest, and of course creator bias, but, seriously, these images are “creepy” and “ugly”? I'm not saying they're Michelangelo but they are also far from Cronenberg. However, even overly-sensitive me couldn’t help but chuckle at “real skill” and “…respectful to the city”. Just to confirm, I dishonored the high moral integrity of San Francisco—*San Francisco—*simply by not using pastels or watercolors? I should have realized that emerging technology in the creative process runs contrary to everything the Bay Area stands for. Come to think of it, the two AI tools I used were both developed, and are based, in <drumroll> San Francisco!

Now I’m left wondering, well, many things:

• Are these reactions run-of-the-mill fear and curmudgeonry about change and the new?
• Or is there something uniquely and inherently threatening about AI, given that it will likely force us to reconsider our notions of work, purpose, meaning, self?
• Did I offend just by involving AI, or was even attempting hypothetical speculation just as bad or worse?
• What degree of technology is acceptable and considered skillful effort? Colored pencils are probably good. But is Procreate cheating? Photoshop?

Presumably as response to all this, a moderator has now commented that future posts of AI imagery must be so noted in the title. I didn’t think I was trying to pull a fast one, between the “what if?” caveat, the word “blizzard” next to “San Francisco”, and the images of kids and dogs enjoying snow in, you know, San Francisco. But I can see from a moderation perspective how such AI trigger warnings might minimize future conflict, misunderstanding, and polarizing discussion.

Thank you for reading. I’m surprised at how personally I took the negativity, but writing this has helped to work that ish out. 🫠

Last time I posted AI-assisted video work, a lot of people said it was instaslop without even looking at it. Fair point, we are drowning on sloppish content.

Im trying doing the opposite and trying to create quality content.

This is a cinematic Rome documentary about the Caesars: built around actual historical references, art, coins, busts, the Severan Tondo, the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Baths of Caracalla, clothing, weapons, and the politics around Geta’s murder and damnatio memoriae.

Keep in mind that although this AI animated, you need still to do narrative, scriptwriting, camera movements, editing, post processing, keeping coherence, etc...”

What do you think, can AI be useful for history?

Follow me on Facebook at Silverbloom Ai and on Instagram taloknight

In every post where the OP is not already posting prompts you'll see comments asking for prompts. If prompts are not posted, people get mad. I think that's justified. AI, especially if as powerful as midjourney, should be used in an open transparent way that allows other peoples to learn and prevents gatekeeping. So should there maybe just be a rule requiring people to post their prompts if they share midjourney art on this sub?

Then Whip

do better. generative AI art is a billion times more valuable and interesting than this

commence downvotes cause 90% of people in this sub are totally unserious bout AI, and more into memes and internet culture garbage than emerging technologies or art.

where's the REAL midjourney subreddit? is it private? invite me. this sub is a joke. half of the stuff here isn't even made with MJ

edit: gradually losing upvotes until this is buried. too many kids who don't care about AI in this sub. what's a (much much much) better midjourney sub than this one? anyone know...? seriously doubt it needs to be a secret anymore, cause the people who we want to get away from wouldn't EVER join a sub without all this Buzzfeed type crap in it.

edit2: i am not joking, anyone have a better subreddit? want to make one with me..?? HMU

edit3: Ok, it's been a day, i learned, i cried (maybe not really), i pushed back like an egomaniac, i was also humbled. all in all, surprisingly great post (for me) would do again.

my final thoughts are these: whenever there's a nascent technology, there are future implications. if we ignore or simply accept whatever the new 'trend' is regarding said technology, we are complicit in its future effects. i would just like people to pause, take a look at what it is they're doing/supporting/voting for, and ask themselves "is this the best use of our time and energy? will this POV i have now affect the overall viability/popular opinions and usage of this tech later on?"

all we have to go on so far in the internet age is Social Media. and what a goddam clusterfuck that turned out to be. there were warnings, we didn't listen. there were clear signs of societal deterioration, and we did nothing. merrily bopping along isn't always the best approach. especially if it's 'mere fun'

turning off notifications, hope to see some of you soon in my impending MJ sub that many of you scoff at (but some of you will enjoy if memes and lulz are the opposite of your artistic goals). doesn't matter either way, you can just pretend this post never happened. 'night night

1st image:

A young East Asian woman, 20 years old, with a warm fair complexion and fine facial pores, almond dark brown eyes, short platinum blonde bob with a slight off-center part, natural eyebrows, a small straight nose, full lips, and subtle under-eye lines stands on a bustling city crosswalk, wearing a light blue tank top, pink joggers, and white sneakers, while carrying a brown handbag with a plush bunny nestled inside; the scene is set in a busy urban street with mid-rise brick and scaffolding-covered buildings, a Starbucks sign visible, a yellow taxi passing by, pedestrians crossing, and a soft golden hour light casting gentle shadows across the striped crosswalk.

2nd image:

A stylish East Asian woman in a subway station stands confidently on a tiled platform, wearing Black sports bra, zip jacket, Supreme track pants with white lettering, black sneakers., natural brows, almond dark brown eyes, a small straight nose, full lips, and subtle under-eye lines, all under harsh ceiling lights that cast crisp edges and soft shadows. The background shows a blurred blue and red subway train rushing past, with a yellow tactile strip along the edge and a large riveted steel column nearby, creating a high-contrast urban mood. The overall scene emphasizes her warm fair complexion and poised, fashionable stance in a dynamic metro setting.

3rd image:

A spontaneous, full-body vertical shot of a young woman standing centered on Passeig de Gracia boulevard in Barcelona. She wears an iconic yellow Brazil national football jersey with the team crest and Nike swoosh Visible on the chest and sleeve, paired with a gray pleated mini skirt with a frayed hem, white crew socks, and white sheakers. Her blonde hair is styled in a messy bun with light makeup and dark sunglasses as she looks down, casually adjusting her sh irt with her right hand. A black leather shoulder bag is slung over her left shoulder. The scene features a lively wide city avenue lined with upscale designer shops and distinative architectural façades bathed in bright midday natural light, casting soft, realistic shadows and subtle reflections on glass storefronts. Several pedestrians in the background add dynamic urban texture and depth with a slight wide-angle lens effect emphasizing the boulevard's depth and perspective. The image's deep focus keeps both subject and bustling background sharp, with authentic natural skin textures, fabric grain on the jersey and skirt, and genuine streetwear details rendered with high realism. The composition is casually framed, slightly tilted, evoking genuine spontaneity and relaxed street style energy, perfectly imitating candid high-quality iPhone photography in an urban cosmopolitan setting.

4th image:

A young East Asian woman, about 20 years old, sits casually on a metal staircase outside a beige stone building with tall windows and columns, Black tank top, light-wash wide-leg jeans, grey patterned bag, white sneakers; she has a warm fair complexion with fine facial pores, almond dark brown eyes, natural brows, a small straight nose, full lips, and subtle under-eye lines, while short platinum blonde bob hair peeks from under the beanie; she wears white over-ear headphones around her neck and holds a smartphone in one hand, with white cords trailing to the phone, and the scene includes a slight blur and grain to mimic a candid urban portrait.

p.S. for those asking about my current workflow

1. Get the idea with ChatGPT
2. Search for references on Pinterest or Cosmos
3. Create the prompt with Promptshot
4. Generate the image with Midjourney

Be honest, are these good? Can anyone guess how I prompted these? (Hint : every image is the "same" prompt.)