{"id":140688,"date":"2025-09-08T02:33:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T02:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/140688\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T02:33:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T02:33:09","slug":"a-wonky-image-on-a-powells-books-t-shirt-was-generated-with-help-from-ai-it-caused-an-uproar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/140688\/","title":{"rendered":"A \u2018wonky\u2019 image on a Powell\u2019s Books T-shirt was generated with help from AI. It caused an uproar"},"content":{"rendered":"

A keen-eyed Powell\u2019s Books customer who noticed a \u201cwonky\u201d graphic on one of the store\u2019s T-shirts for sale \u2014 then posted the image to the social media platform Reddit<\/a> last week \u2014 ignited an uproar among the Portland bookseller\u2019s<\/a> devoted fan base over the company\u2019s suspected reliance on artificial intelligence. <\/p>\n

The post sparked hundreds of social media comments and prompted scorn from the bookseller\u2019s employees union, which said the company has been \u201cunmoved\u201d by employee concerns about its use of AI in merchandise. <\/p>\n

In a statement Saturday, Powell\u2019s acknowledged the public relations mess and said it had hired a local artist who was assisted by AI software to create \u201cthe designs on our merch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The T-shirt that sparked the inferno of criticism features what at first glance appears to be a hand-drawn sketch of a sharp-clawed, snarling wolf standing atop a stack of books. \u201cPowell\u2019s Books,\u201d it says. \u201cFiercely Independent Since 1971.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA closer look at the stack of books shows problems with the spines of some of the books, as well as strange shreds that appear to be paper under one book, on this Powell’s Books apparel.(Photo by Aimee Green, The Oregonian\/OregonLive)<\/p>\n

But a closer look reveals problems flagged by the Reddit user, including something wrong with the bindings of the books. At least two books appear to have bindings that stretch only partway down the spine, then show the books\u2019 exposed pages. Another book appears to morph into the spine of a different book.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I got home I noticed the wonky\u2026 book bindings, and something seemed off about the wolf,\u201d wrote the Reddit user Front_Refrigerator99<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m definitely returning it and letting them know that it\u2019s ridiculous to push slop when they have people throwing themselves at them for this kind of work!\u201d<\/p>\n

In a post on Saturday<\/a>, Powell\u2019s Books said the local artist that it hired to create the image used \u201cAdobe tools, which now include some AI-assisted features<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe value the work of human artists and designers, and we remain committed to keeping Powell\u2019s designs rooted in creativity and imagination,\u201d the post read. It also said the company is \u201calready 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunday, a day after Powell\u2019s public explanation, stacks of the neatly folded T-shirts and hoodie sweatshirts bearing the wolf graphic hung from a clothing rack at the company\u2019s flagship store on West Burnside Street, selling for $32 and $58 respectively. Others showed an ornery-looking cat with its claw gripping the top of a book. A woman who bought a wolf T-shirt Sunday said she hadn\u2019t heard of the controversy.<\/p>\n

\"AA sweatshirt depicts a graphic of a cat with a book at Powell’s Books on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.(Photo by Aimee Green, The Oregonian\/OregonLive)<\/p>\n

But some of the social media users who\u2019ve posted more than 650 comments on Reddit or Facebook expressed outrage at the internationally beloved bookstore for allowing the use of AI while at the same time housing hundreds of thousands of books, which are pieces of intellectual property created by human minds.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI is theft,\u201d posted one Facebook user.<\/p>\n

Chimed in Reddit user nutt3rbutt3r<\/a>, \u201cAI unfortunately allows for a new kind of \u2018artist\u2019 \u2014 aka con artist.\u201d<\/p>\n

But not everyone condemned Powell\u2019s. A Facebook user offered supportive words: \u201cWho cares? AI is the future, like it or not. It\u2019s like resisting electricity. There is just no way to stop it. So if there are AI assisted designs, okay. (The) world has more pressing issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TwoPowell’s Books flagship store \u2014 seen here on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025 \u2014 is at 10th and West Burnside Street in Portland. It takes up a full city block.(Photo by Aimee Green, The Oregonian\/OregonLive)<\/p>\n

In a Sunday Facebook post,<\/a> the union for Powell\u2019s workers, ILWU Local 5<\/a>, urged the bookseller\u2019s leadership to \u201ctake a decisive and public position on generative AI.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cA company whose entire business model is dependent on human creativity should be safeguarding against any technology that exploits, devalues, or displaces it,\u201d the post said.<\/p>\n

The union said it appreciated that Powell\u2019s was responding to the controversy but lamented \u201cthe fact that it took public outcry for them to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis fraught and embarrassing situation,\u201d the union said, \u201ccould have been easily avoided, as Powell\u2019s workers have been raising concerns about the apparent use of AI in the company\u2019s branded merch for months, to no avail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Powell\u2019s Saturday statement did not respond to the union\u2019s allegation that workers had been complaining for months.<\/p>\n

The dust-up over AI comes after Powell\u2019s acknowledged last week that it\u2019s struggling to financially recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and laid off 18 employees<\/a> this summer.<\/p>\n

\"Powell'sOn its Facebook page, Powell’s Books offered this statement about its use of AI in creating store merchandise.(Screenshot from the Facebook page of Powell’s Books)<\/p>\n

\u2014 Reporter Aimee Green covers politics, personal finance and issues that matter to consumers. She can be reached at 503-294-5119, agreen@oregonian.com<\/a> or on Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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