I studied graphic design for three years; that was the major I chose in college. Even though I dropped out and didn’t finish the program because I didn’t like graphic design at all, I’m pretty disappointed to see this kind of thing nowadays. It makes me think that maybe I made the right decision by leaving that major, but at the same time, I think that AI will eventually replace anyone in any job—not just in design. The thing is, lately I’ve seen a lot of new products of rather dubious origin whose “LOGO” or “mascot” is made with AI and looks absolutely awful.
Over a month ago, I saw the first strange product at the supermarket. It caught my attention because the fruits on the packaging looked a lot like the famous TikTok fruits that have recently gone viral—dramatic and bizarre stories depicted in AI-generated videos inspired by fruits. Even though it might not seem like it, they have a rather peculiar style that AI can’t help but replicate over and over again, plus they tend to look overly cluttered, packed with so many elements that they appear simple, cheap, and low-quality—those fruits on the gummy packaging are definitely AI-generated.
But over the past few weeks, this trend has spread like wildfire, and now there are more products than I’ve ever seen with packaging designed using AI. Today, for example, I saw this cereal from a brand called “SUNNY”—the first time in my life I’ve seen that brand—and the worst part is that it screams “AI” from every side of the box. It looks so fake that it seems like cereal from a video game; I don’t know how to explain it, but I don’t think I’d buy that cereal on a whim. Maybe just out of curiosity I’ll buy some to see if it tastes as bad as they make it out to be, or maybe I’m just judging it unfairly. But what really bugs me is the back of the cereal box where the bear is dressed as a wizard—a typical AI image.
The thing is, even if you look closely, there are many differences and details—seemingly minor ones—that stand out between the front and back of the bear-shaped cereal, which make it clear that the work isn't even clean. There are also these other versions in different flavors where they used AI as well; that polar bear looks pretty artificial and doesn't convey anything to me at all.
And finally, another product I saw today is these kitchen wipes featuring this little dog created with AI—and, of course, from some totally obscure brand that nobody’s heard of. It worries me a bit, not just that they’re using AI, but I also wonder: Where are all these strange brands coming from? Are these products safe to use? These are really valid questions for this country, since we’ve been through horrible things and have had to eat disgusting things that aren’t even healthy during economic crises—I’m already a little traumatized by that.