AI image of dugongs with legs wins prize, prompting criticism
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources’ artificial intelligence (AI) art competition faced criticism from Thai netizens after the winning image depicted unrealistic dugongs and their habitat.
The department launched the AI art competition to mark National Dugong Conservation Day on August 17 each year and to raise awareness of environmental conservation.
Entrants were asked to generate dugong artwork based on the theme of protecting their habitat. Judging was split evenly between a panel and public likes. The first prize was worth 3,000 baht.
The winning image was named “Under the Azure Light”. The creator’s identity was not revealed to the public.
The winning image drew criticism due to several unrealistic features, including the hind limbs of the dugongs and the seagrass.
Dugongs have front flippers and a fluked tail like a whale’s, but no hind limbs. The seagrass in the image has broad, round leaves on upright stems, which does not resemble seagrass in Thai waters.
Jessada Denduangboripant, a biology lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Science, posted photographs of real Thai seagrass in the comments section of the award announcement. He suggested that the image should have been more closely aligned with reality.
The irony was not lost on people online, who pointed out that the campaign was intended to raise awareness of dugong habitats and reserves, yet it depicted a habitat that does not exist.
Others added that the unrealistic, AI-generated image could lead to misunderstandings and misinformation about dugongs, especially among children.
The department has not yet responded to the criticism.
Aside from the AI art competition, the department also launched multiple campaigns to highlight the importance of environmental conservation on the National Dugong Conservation Day event, which was held on August 15.
According to the department, Thailand has around 250 dugongs, and most of them were found in Trang province in the South. Its population has fallen sharply, and starvation was the main cause of their deaths, according to information from 2024.
The seagrass they eat has been disappearing. Hungry dugongs then swim further to find food, into busier waters where they are hit by boats or caught in fishing gear.
Local communities in Trang and Krabi have started replanting seagrass with researchers, and some recent counts have gone back up slightly.
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