Pasir Ris-Changi Town Council apologises over National Day banner flag error, denies AI involvement
Pasir Ris-Changi Town Council has apologised after a National Day banner displayed a Singapore flag incorrectly, saying the error occurred during final design and that no AI was used.
- Pasir Ris-Changi Town Council said a National Day banner contained an incorrectly modified Singapore flag.
- The council denied using AI and said the mistake occurred during the final design stage.
- The banner was removed, with the council apologising and reviewing its design and approval processes.
SINGAPORE: Pasir Ris-Changi Town Council has apologised after a National Day banner featuring two children displayed one Singapore flag with its crescent and five stars facing the wrong direction.
The council said the mistake occurred during the final design process, when one of the Singapore flags in the original photograph was incorrectly modified.
It also denied that artificial intelligence was used to generate or edit the banner, following online speculation that the image may have been created using AI.
The banner has since been removed. The council said it accepted full responsibility for the error and was reviewing its design and approval procedures.
How hard is it to get a flag right? Who they gonna blame now?
by u/blueblirds in SingaporeRaw
Questions over AI oversight and accountability
A photograph of the pink National Day banner was recently posted on social media, showing two children standing side by side in red clothing and each holding a Singapore flag.
However, the direction of one flag was incorrect, prompting discussion among members of the public about how the mistake had occurred.
A Reddit post questioning the error asked: "How hard is it to get a flag right? Who they gonna blame now?"
The discussion quickly expanded beyond the incorrect flag itself, with commenters questioning whether adequate human oversight had been applied during the design and approval process.
Some argued that the central issue was not AI, but the apparent failure to identify an obvious error before the banner was printed and displayed.
Others speculated that the design work may have been outsourced, although some commenters said this would raise further questions about quality control.
They argued that both external vendors and government officers should have checked the final design before it was published.
Family shares original photograph
The controversy continued after a social media account believed to be operated by the parent of one of the children published the original photograph submitted for use.
The original image showed the two children holding Singapore flags in the correct orientation, contrasting with the version displayed on the final banner.
According to the parent, the two families organised the small photo session on a Saturday afternoon and coordinated the children's clothing and poses.
The purpose was to capture what the parent described as the children's sincere and unique friendship.
The photography session lasted less than 10 minutes, and the children were later rewarded with chocolate eggs.
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The parent told Lianhe Zaobao that the children had initially been excited about seeing their photograph printed on a National Day banner.
Instead, the family found that the well-intentioned activity had become the subject of public controversy.
"We initially took and submitted these photos simply to record the sincere and unique friendship between the children," the parent said.
Town council explains design error
In response to questions from Zaobao, Pasir Ris-Changi Town Council said it was aware of public feedback concerning one of the National Day banners displayed in the area.
The council said the photograph used for the banner came from a National Day photography competition in which residents were invited to submit their work.
The initiative was intended to encourage residents to share precious moments while promoting community cohesion and participation in National Day celebrations.
The council said the original photograph had been incorrectly altered during the final design process.
"During the final design process, one of the Singapore flags in the original photograph was incorrectly modified, resulting in the flag being displayed in the wrong direction," the council said.
It acknowledged that the error should not have occurred and said it took full responsibility for the mistake.
The council also specifically clarified that no AI-generated imagery was used in the production or editing of the banner.
The affected banner has been removed, and the council issued a sincere apology to the family whose photograph was altered as well as to members of the public.
It also thanked members of the public for bringing the matter to its attention.
The council said it was reviewing its design and approval procedures and strengthening quality-control measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
It added that it would continue to present national symbols with care and respect.
Earlier Bedok banner incident
The Pasir Ris-Changi incident follows an earlier controversy involving a National Day banner in Bedok that was described as AI-generated.
Kampong Chai Chee Community Club said the banner was created and funded by elderly resident volunteers and produced using AI.
According to the community club, the design errors were not noticed before the banner was displayed.
The banner reportedly contained a flag resembling the Indonesian flag, along with incorrect stars and other design inconsistencies.
It was replaced after residents raised concerns about the design.
The incident prompted further discussion on Facebook and Reddit, with commenters again focusing on the role of human review rather than AI technology alone.
Some questioned how multiple errors could have passed through the approval process before the banner was displayed publicly.
Others argued that any savings associated with using AI could be offset by the costs and effort involved in correcting mistakes.
Some commenters also criticised the decision not to engage local designers to produce the banner.
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.
