Controversial Glasgow mural ‘has nothing to do with AI’

The businessman behind a controversial mural planned for a Glasgow street has said artificial intelligence had nothing to do with the final design.

Glasgow City Council has approved Derek Patterson’s proposal to create a mural on a wall in Elmbank Street in the city.

But the proposed design, which Mr Patterson claims will be representative of Scottish heritage, was ridiculed and criticized online for its use of AI. This included the inclusion of a bald eagle in the image, a bird not native to Scotland.

Mr Patterson told BBC Scotland News that the image was not a finished design, but a suggestive drawing, allowing the artist to paint the mural however he wanted.

He added that the proposal had received a lot of abuse online, and that the local artist he hired had already exhibited some of his work in the city.

The design features Highland cattle, a stag, a steam train, a worker wearing a flat hat, and buildings likely to surround the Wallace Monument in Stirling.

Some people on social media speculated that the work was an attempt at an AI-powered Steller’s Sea Eagle, due to its tweet-like nature, the train appearing to float in the air, and the planned use of an eagle.

“From the beginning, I’ve emphasized to the artist that he has a blank canvas to work on, and I just provide the theme,” Patterson said.

“I seek to tell a story that celebrates Glasgow’s rich industrial heritage while paying homage to the city’s industrial future.

“We cannot stress enough that AI has nothing to do with this mural. It is merely an illustrative painting attempting to convey the idea that the mural is loosely based on, but the artist will be given permission to be creative within reason and within City Council guidelines.”

He argued that online abuse was caused by people jumping to conclusions based on initial images.

The planning application said it was intended to create something that celebrates “Scotland’s rich energy heritage and continued commitment to renewable and sustainable energy sources”.

Glasgow City Council guidelines mean that designs must be made purely on the basis of planning guidelines, rather than having designs judged one way or another.

In recent years, the use of AI in art has become of increasing interest to many artists.

In 2024, Black Isle-based pop artist Michael Forbes told BBC Scotland News that he was painting some of his work in protest against the influence of AI in art.

He said some artists are giving up on their careers because they feel they can no longer compete with computer-generated images.