Netizens question AI use after National Day poster appears to feature Indonesian flag
A National Day poster has drawn criticism online after netizens spotted what appeared to be an Indonesian flag, prompting questions about AI use and human oversight.
- Netizens criticised a National Day poster for apparently featuring an Indonesian flag and other AI-generated visual errors.
- Commenters questioned whether the design underwent sufficient human review, editing and approval before being displayed.
- Some urged organisers to support Singapore's local artists and designers instead of relying heavily on AI-generated creative work.
SINGAPORE: A National Day poster has drawn criticism online after netizens spotted what appeared to be an Indonesian flag in the artwork, raising questions over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the level of human oversight involved in approving the design.
The image was first posted in the SG Creative & Cultural Community Facebook group with the caption, “A good example of AI generative artworks”.
However, the post did not specify where the image was taken.
Under Singapore’s National Flag guidelines, any reproduction of the flag should maintain its original design, including its colours, proportions, crescent moon and five stars.
While creative uses of the flag image are allowed in certain circumstances, especially during the National Day celebrations period, the design should not be significantly altered or distorted.
Netizens question overreliance on AI and lack of human oversight
The banner quickly drew criticism on Reddit and Facebook, with many commenters arguing that the issue was not the use of AI itself but the apparent absence of adequate human review before the design was printed and displayed.
Several questioned how the artwork could have passed through multiple stages of approval despite the apparent errors.
One commenter asked, “Who the f*** vet and approve to print?”
Another wrote, “Want to use AI also don't know how to review.”
Others said the incident reflected what they saw as an excessive dependence on AI in creative work.
One Facebook user wrote, “AI can be used, but still needs editing, can't blindly generate.”
'AI slop' and concerns over declining quality
Many commenters described the artwork as “AI slop”, criticising what they viewed as a decline in quality associated with the increasing use of AI-generated content.
One Reddit user wrote, “This is what happens when you use AI instead of real artists.”
Another commenter said, “Using AI to generate this is so cheap.”
Others pointed to several apparent visual inconsistencies in the artwork, including distorted flags, inconsistent logos, malformed stars and what appeared to be fictional skylines.
Some commenters also highlighted unusual character features in the image, including what appeared to be hair growing from a child's ear.
The apparent errors prompted questions about why the design had not been corrected before being published or displayed.
Some argued that the mistakes were so obvious they could have been fixed with minimal additional editing.
One commenter suggested that “fixing this is as easy as inserting a one-sentence prompt”, arguing that the apparent simplicity of correcting the errors made the lack of oversight difficult to understand.
Calls to support local artists instead
The controversy also prompted discussion about the role of Singapore's creative community and whether local artists and designers should have been given greater consideration.
Several commenters expressed disappointment that organisers appeared to have favoured AI-generated artwork over professional creative workers.
One comment read, “No love for local artist/designer.”
Another said, “There are so many talented artists in SG who will willingly do NDP stuff.”
Some questioned whether cost considerations had influenced the decision to use AI-generated artwork rather than commission a professional designer.
One commenter suggested that “profits and costs are prioritised”, while another joked that organisers had “saved money” by not hiring a professional designer or reviewer.
Some call it a 'big mistake' and embarrassment
Beyond concerns about the apparent technical errors, some commenters said the banner was particularly inappropriate because of its association with National Day celebrations.
Several described the artwork as “embarrassing AI slop”, while others called it “a very big mistake”, “a disgrace” and “disrespectful to Singapore”.
The apparent Indonesian flag also became a focus of online jokes, with some making light of the mistake by imagining a fictional merger between Singapore and Indonesia.
Names including “Singonesia”, “Balipura” and “Indopura” were suggested jokingly in the comments.
