To AI or not to AI

That is the question (With apologies to Will Shakespeare)

There is much debate in the world of puzzles about whether images and designs produced by AI should be used.

Indeed the BCD ( The Benevolent Confraternity of Disectologists) asked a couple of members who handmake and cut puzzles for their opinions. They differ greatly on the pros and cons.

Will it put artists out of work, and what about, designers, photograpers, all of whom have their work made in to puzzles in all sorts of shapes and sizes?.

Bespoke artwork is expensive to commission, often you have to pay royalties as well, sometimes you can only use the image for a limited period, and sometimes you don't get to keep the picture you paid for or any other rights to use it.

AI is usually much cheaper to produce, the image belongs to you, the puzzlemaker, no royalties to pay, and means that you can add new images to your range, refreshing images and promoting sales, one hopes.

AI images are not easy to produce, they require accurate, sometimes complicated words and phrases in the right order, and depending on the programme used, do not always come up with the image that you visualised in your minds eye. We tried!

Producing usable AI images is a skill, just as an artist has a skill.

We here at Grovely Puzzles admit to using AI, but we are also offering Traditional Photographic and artwork images. Maybe there is room for all.

Happy Puzzling Everone!