PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Portland’s most iconic bookstore, Powell’s Books, addressed criticism Saturday after customers and workers realized that some of the store’s merchandise was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).
The merchandise, which featured photos of wolves and cats, drew criticism online over the weekend, with many on Facebook and Reddit saying the images appeared unnatural.
ILWU Local 5, a union that represents many of the store’s workers, posted on Facebook Wednesday about the use of AI in the merchandise.
“Powell’s workers have been voicing concerns about the use of AI in these designs for months and company leadership has been unmoved…” the post said. “Maybe feedback from customers and book industry peers will move them?”
The post sparked further backlash online, and led Powell’s to address the controversy in a statement Saturday:
“We want to acknowledge the concern around the designs of our recent merch. The designs were created by a local artist using Adobe tools, which now include some Al-assisted features.
We value the work of human artists and designers, and we remain committed to keeping Powell’s designs rooted in creativity and imagination.
We’re already working on new apparel for the holidays and spring, and we would love to invite local artists who are interested in helping us create new designs. If you’re an artist who’d like to work with us, please email design@powells.com.
Thank you for your passion and for helping keep Powell’s independent.”
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