The 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics are facing significant backlash on social media, with users expressing outrage towards the event's social media team. The official Olympic accounts have been utilizing AI-generated artwork that appears to lack detail and shows disregard for copyright laws. The generated images exhibit common AI flaws, including distorted colors and geometric shapes. Furthermore, users pointed out an error in the depiction of the Olympic rings. A major point of contention is that the artistic concepts were seemingly "borrowed" from renowned photographer Tatsuya Tanaka, known for his intricate miniature photography that he has been perfecting for over 13 years. Many on social media are urging Tanaka to take legal action against the Olympics for what they perceive as a theft of his artistic style, although he has yet to respond. Meanwhile, Tanaka has recently unveiled a new series of works inspired by the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, raising questions about why the organizers of this major sporting event, which has a budget of €1.7 billion, opted for AI-generated visuals instead of collaborating with a well-established artist like Tanaka. This situation prompts a debate: can this be labeled as plagiarism, or are these merely artistic references?
Informational material. 18+.
