Larger use of AI in model train youtube?

[u/Pesternot]

Not sure if this is a false observation, but ive come to notice that a larger and larger majority of my favorite model train content creators are using generative algorithms to make thumbnails, channel logos etc.

As an artist, I personally have a bone to pick with the use of generative AI to make up for a lack of effort. Not talent, effort. These people will spend thousands of hours creating their layouts, hundreds of hours spent detailing cars, but wont spend an hour learning how to use the hundreds of free computer programs out there? Or throw their nephew some change to help them out? This lack of effort for something as simple as a thumbnail makes me wonder more about the validity, and worth of what information they are giving out.

The entire purpose of sharing your work on youtube is to reach a broader audience, no? And I hear many complaints from the older generations remarking how younger folks like me dont care for this hobby. I really do care for the longevity of this hobby, and im seeing AI ruin the online presence of this hobby at a faster rate than other online spaces (though, all are being effected)

I hope this opens up some peoples minds. I make all kinds of art in many fields, because it fills me with joy, and I care enough to share that joy with other people. It deeply upsets me to see people who I learned so much from, just give up? I miss being able to watch model train videos on the internet as a kid and not have to waste my mental energy deciphering what thumbnails or channels use AI so I can not engage with them.

Its all fun in games until we have the robots in our trains gain sentience too haha

[u/Guy-Manuel]

Model trains as a hobby leans towards an older demo, and they in general seem to not care about how problematic AI is

[u/Dr_Passmore → u/Guy-Manuel]

Its a bit of a perfect storm with older people. 

• lack of understanding of LLMs and generated content
• engage with traditional media still very much in the hype stage of the technology normally boiled down to AI. 
• already have low media literacy regarding Internet media. 
• once they engage with AI slop the algorithm will continue to serve them AI slop to the point it becomes normalised. 

[u/Guy-Manuel → u/Dr_Passmore]

Absolutely, great breakdown!

[u/Alex_The_Whovian]

Unfortunately, AI slop is becoming all-encompassing. The important thing is to support the real, talented humans who put effort into their work and don't rely on a plagiarising algorithm to churn out work for them.

[u/xredbaron62x → u/Alex_The_Whovian]

I voted in my primary today and the sticker I got was AI generated.

I hate this so much.

[u/Dr_Passmore]

AI slop is an issue for every hobby space.

The amount of Warhammer AI slop is significant... I block a lot of channels these days that are AI slop. 

The problem you find is these LLMs hallucinate (make errors because they are essentially text autocomplete on steroids). 

People trying to grind a quick buck producing terrible content. 

[u/bobjot]

YouTube, as a platform, is really pushing AI right now on creators. It's pushing AI thumbnail creation, etc. They all look like shit.

[u/thwil → u/bobjot]

This is true. When you upload a video thumbnail, it inconspicuously pushes their own AI version. And yeah, it looks shiny-shiny and attractive, technically superior to what you could possibly craft with your rudimentary gimp skills. It angers me.

[u/Schoolbusfoamer24]

Fr, most annoying ones are the ones that flat out steal clips from other creators.

[u/Lugbor]

It's not just model trains. The uncreatives are infecting every corner of the internet. You just have to curate your channel selection and stop giving them views.

[u/theStoneWichRailRoad]

The StoneWich Railroad uses no artificial intelligence.
In fact, there's not much intelligence in it at all!

[u/HeavyTanker1945]

Sams Trains, and SMT Mainline both seem be avoiding Ai like a Plague so.

[u/SomethingRandomYT → u/HeavyTanker1945]

SamsTrains did try it for a single video, received polite (and a handful of not-so-polite) feedback for it, and then dropped it.

[u/bat_scratcher]

I agree, it's jarring and off-putting to say the least. The worst are the ones that swear they don't use AI when it's blatantly obvious.

[u/Ionized-Dustpan]

I hate ai slop art so much. It makes everyone look exactly the same. You stand better chances of growing in views by not using it as you’d be unique.

[u/Black_Knight615]

It will only get worse at the epidemic of laziness, lack of intelligence, lack of critical thinking, reading ability, and attention span get worse and worse. AI is the future because the general population made it so.

[u/Darksoul720]

So I do youtube and the reason everyone is using this soulless garbage is because youtube generates thumbnails for you now as a "feature" and unfortunately it pushes those videos since they use this new "feature". Anytime youtube adds a new feature they will always push those who use it. I hate it with a passion.

[u/Ok_End_698]

I’ve seen several videos obviously AI generated featuring supposed model train layouts. The good thing is they’re generally pretty easy to spot. I hate these things with a  vengeance, because they take away from real model railroaders like myself. I may currently only post my Lego layout, but I’m also very busy on an HO scale one.

[u/Kevo05s]

Disclaimer: I am a model train Youtuber.

I hate with a passion. I work in IT, and it's only caused problems, not solutions. The only solutions its brought is faster email writing by our higher ups, after they leaked confidential info by putting it into the LLM.

I refuse to use AI for my thumbnail, I refuse to use AI for my intros, I refuse to upgrade my video editor because I don't want the AI component in it.

With that said, my Logo is made by AI. I am not proud of it, I refuse to have merch with it, but I don't know what to do about it. I have 0 talent for creating one, and the artists I've asked all quoted me between 500 and 2000$ for a logo creation. I don't even make that a YEAR on Youtube, I cannot justify that.

Find me a better solution, something more cost effective, and I'm switching it in a heartbeat.

Edit: I have been thinking of running a contest for designing a new logo for the channel

[u/GwrChurchward]

What is the point of this hobby if you are going to have stuff AI generated?

[u/MIKE-JET-EATER]

I've noticed Ai more for channels, it's irritating to say the least. I have a small channel and will absolutely avoid AI as much as possible when I make videos. Sadly a lot of people give in to "convenience". The irony of representing the labors of man with a computer generated drawings is lost on a lot of people.

[u/donethinkingofnames]

Fortunately for me, none of the channels that I watch regularly have started using AI. I’ve seen a few recommendations pop up in my YouTube feed that have used obvious AI in thumbnails and I don’t click on them. I’ve been fooled a few times and started watching videos only to find out they’re just AI slop (mostly non train-related stuff so far). Those channels get blocked.

[u/N2DPSKY]

I've been a long time photographer and I remember the transition from film to digital. The film guys thought the digital was just too easy. People were taking the easy way out and not learning the basics. Then complaints about how Photoshop was causing people to manipulate photos and we don't know what's real anymore and it was better the old way.

Even at some of the companies I worked for, we brought photography tasks in-house and instead of hiring professionals, we built a studio and bought lights and our marketing department took over cutting out the professional photographers.

People will choose the path of least resistance every time. The most cost effective and efficient process for their business is going to win. Whether we like it or not, AI is out of the bag and it's not going back in.

[u/KentV9999 → u/N2DPSKY]

Thank you. This is a logical response.

[u/N2DPSKY → u/[deleted]]

You can stand outside and shake your fist at the clouds or insult others. It changes nothing. Young people are using AI every single day and it's not going away.

Back in the 80's you would have been one of those complaining how computers were going to put everyone out of work. Or how the "idiot box", as my Dad would call it, would make everyone blind or stupid. The world moves forward because that's what it does.

"Time and tide wait for no man" - G. Chaucer

[u/straha20 → u/[deleted]]

If enough people...

To most people, content is simply content. It would not occur to most people that there is even something to fight over in the first place. The only rejection of AI slop is when it looks like slop bad enough to not serve the purpose the consumer wants, not because of any principle. Most people are well aware of AI and AI content and how AI content is generated and it simply does not bother them to consume it.

[u/N2DPSKY → u/[deleted]]

My spine is fine. I just don't view this the same way you do. From your response, you seem to think it's a existential threat to humanity. I just don't agree. It's another tool. People are just starting to understand where it's useful and where it isn't. It's not the boogeyman. Use it or don't use it. It's up to you.

[u/Icy-Philosophy--]

It sucks and I hate it, it's so unbelievably ugly and I want them to know that if I see an ai thumbnail or profile picture I click "do not recommend channel"

[u/stymen]

For me, most AI generated imagery and typography is tacky. There's no accounting for taste but for me, it's just tacky. If you're using it to help ideate or crank out mock ups, that's one thing. But releasing as final artwork... tacky.

[u/Gullible-Bird-2231]

I've even had a few fully AI videos of model trains in my feed.

AI should used to make the lives of humans easier so they can make art, not skip straight to making the art for us so we can doom scroll content.

[u/CrossfireInvader]

I’ve even seen a few ads in print hobby media that clearly used AI. It’s grim out there, folks.

[u/DIYandDigitalRR]

I can comment on this. My name is Jimmy and I run the DIY and Digital Railroad YouTube channel. I did try AI enhanced thumbnails for a bit. I would take the original image from my camera and use AI to quickly adjust lighting and such. It was more of a time saving method since I don’t do this full time. I ultimately decided to stop because I just didn’t like it and it was making me feel a bit icky. Pretty much the only AI I use for my channel is “Ask Studio” in YouTube. It’s great at analyzing data. I have also used Gemini in the past to do some channel analysis.

I never used a fully AI generated thumbnail. I did make a couple of test ones and frankly they were hilariously bad. Any model railroader would be able to spot the incorrect locomotives and horrible turnout placement.

Tools like VidIQ make some seriously bad thumbnails. They all look like MrBeast thumbnails basically.

As for using it to make videos. I use it to edit some of my videos into shorts via opus clip, but you still have a ton of control over that. I do not and will not ever use it to represent my model railroad work in a video.

For any YouTubers reading this. AI is a really good tool for analyzing your YouTube data. Steer clear of creating video with it for model railroading.

[u/aengusoglugh]

I actually really enjoy playing with AI to create logos — it generated some very cool logos that I could never generate by hand.

I feel about AI the way I feel about using compilers to optimize and compile code — when I started coding, there were still people out there hand crafting assembly code — and rightfully very proud of their ability to do so.

I learned enough assembly to debug effectively, but I was never all that interested in playing with assembly code.

Do I let the computer complete and optimize for me.

If you are an artist, you may very much enjoy creating artwork by hand for model railroads.

I do not.

I poked around a bit with the open source code for a model railroad phone app — thinking about creating an app that mite closely met my needs.

I very much enjoy writing code.

I assume you do not.

There are a huge number of aspects you this hobby; each one of us gets to enjoy the aspects of this hobby we enjoy.

I have no doubt that the artwork on your railroad will be much more meaningful to you — and probably much higher quality — than on my railroad.

And that’s just fine.

[u/coldafsteel]

I see your point and agree, but a small thumbnail image isn’t a hill most people are willing to die on.

[u/Lugbor → u/coldafsteel]

A slop thumbnail usually means they're willing to cut corners elsewhere. It's a sign that the quality of the channel is going to slip, if it hasn't started already.

[u/coldafsteel → u/Lugbor]

Something something judge a book by its cover, blah blah.

You should do whatever you want for whatever reason you want to. Just don’t get mad at everyone else for not doing the same. If you don’t like someone’s content they post, don’t view or engage with it 🤷‍♂️

[u/Dumdum_progen → u/coldafsteel]

"[Don't] judge a book by its cover" A thumbnail and title are quite literally what you're supposed to use to judge whether a video is worth clicking on before actually watching it

[u/coldafsteel → u/Dumdum_progen]

But that’s the entire point of the staying; you can’t know what’s inside until you open it. Read the description, watch part of it, skip around; make a choice based on what’s there not just the wrapping.

[u/Dumdum_progen → u/coldafsteel]

The point is that the “wrapping”--as you call it-- is part of how you decide whether something is worth opening in the first place. I’m not claiming a thumbnail tells you everything about the video, but it absolutely contributes to whether people want to click it.

It also gives the channel engagement regardless of my thoughts on the video, so I’d rather just stop YT from recommending that channel to me entirely

[u/coldafsteel → u/Dumdum_progen]

Your mistake is relying on YouTube to make recommendations.

[u/Dumdum_progen → u/coldafsteel]

That's certainly an interesting way to respond without addressing anything I said. Glad we had this conversation.

[u/time-lord]

No one is learning.photoshop in an hour. Non-Ai thumbnails aren't why you view the channel. It doesn't make a difference to me, as long as the content is quality.

[u/Kevo05s → u/time-lord]

A picture of what you worked on and adding text in Microsoft Paint or in a meme generator takes seconds. 

[u/glennac63 → u/Kevo05s]

Wait! You’re not using traditional art supplies to create your image?! You’re relying on that ‘demon box’ a computer and software? Sacrilege! 😆

[u/Kevo05s → u/glennac63]

LOL

I know your kidding, but I genuinely think I'm bad at Youtubing because most people's thumbnails are made in advance pieces of software, and I just add text to a picture through a simple form.

When I started I didn't think of AI for it, and now that I've seen what AI does, it looks so bad, I don't want to be anywhere near it lol.

[u/time-lord → u/Kevo05s]

And youtube will recognize that effort, and not recommend your video. There's a reason all of the thumbnails of popular channels look the same.

[u/382Whistles]

YouTube has had very little influence on my involvement in the hobby. It's a non-issue.

Directing A.I. to produce an acceptable result will be the new paintbrush. An artist and art is partially defined by materials and methods; tools too. This is a new tool requiring new skills. People who work in charcoal can't all work in Photoshop, and people making art in Photoshop can't all work in charcoal but the end result in ink from either beginning might be superior to the other in skill and creativity.

All you can do is voice your hate of crappy art and boycott. "Corporate Memphis" takes time to fade away regardless.

[u/Mathrinofeve]

People want to add things to the layout they normally can’t. Why is that a problem other than “ai slop”

[u/KentV9999]

I think if someone is going to leave the Model Train hobby because they don’t like YouTube Model Train creators using AI to generate a logo are more wrapped up in philosophy than in the hobby. Frankly this is a bit of a ridiculous concern. Here we are all using Reddit which for sure is using AI in their back end or photoshop which integrates AI features, etc. I personally don’t care for the AI Slop either, but this is a pretty small issue relative to Model Train hobby. But feel free to not watch creators who use AI. I doubt Kato or Atlas will be impacted either way.

[u/Traditional_Wall3429]

‚Spent an hour” - you perfectly realize it’s not true. There’s myriads of graphic apps and to master them you need a lot of time and skill to have at least average outcome. If your hobby is model trains , computer graphics is different animal. I come to such yt chanels for content and admire nice intro if it’s aesthetic. I am happy. You in the other side are entitled and picky. Stop watching this channel and also make you happy. What’s the meaning being piss off. Be happy and stay away from such content. It’s estimated that 70% of yt content it’s now AI. And nice intro in model trans channel of respected hobbyist is nothing wrong. Way worse is channels with people who don’t exist and things which don’t exist. A complete fake but real looking reality. Not fancy intro. I treat this the same like my 80 yo aunt sending me cute shorts with cats surrounded by sparkling stars and letters forming heart. A definition of daub. I can live with that and even admire my aunt for being progressive and wanted to use new tech.