AI images of Singaporean families used by Ministry of Finance creeping people out
Farah Daley
The New Paper
July 31, 2024
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has come under fire from netizens for its recent use of AI-generated images in a series of posts on Facebook and Instagram.
#ICYMI: The enhanced Assurance Package was designed to ensure that those who need more help, get the support they need....
Posted by Ministry of Finance (Singapore) on Thursday 11 July 2024
Critics have described the visuals as "horrifying", "creepy" and resembling scam ads.
The images posted on July 11 were created to generate awareness of the financial schemes available for the different groups in Singapore.
A Reddit user reposted one of the images depicting a "lower-income couple with two young children" and asked the community to "spot the errors".
One user listed the errors he spotted, adding, "The more I look at it, the creepier it gets."
The netizen said the street lamps were "weird", there was a "gremlin" in the background of the photo and the couple had "more teeth than alligators" with no incisors.
Another said the woman's fingers were "messed up" and the buildings in the background had "ridiculous" windows.
MOF told Lianhe Zaobao it uses a variety of visuals, including photographs, graphics, cartoons and videos to suit the different target audiences on each social media platform.
It is now experimenting with the use of AI to explore alternative visual effects besides pictures produced by designers and will indicate the use of AI in published posts and pictures to ensure they are transparent about the source of the content.
"We will continue to explore the use of various tools and take in feedback to improve our products to better inform fellow Singaporeans about government schemes and services," a spokesperson said.
