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To be fair, the problems you describe existed before AI, though I concede it has gotten worse. What baffles me is why anyone would think it a good idea to post

To be fair, the problems you describe existed before AI, though I concede it has gotten worse. What baffles me is why anyone would think it a good idea to post and host these images? What’s that upside?

TeMPOraL 2mo ago
Same reason fishermen put baits on the hooks, or hunters make weird sounds: it helps attract unsuspecting victims closer, increasing the chance of extracting some value out of them.
DaiPlusPlus 2mo ago
> the problems you describe existed before AI No, the problem of mass-produced, outright wrong, educational graphics flooding image-search results did not exist before 2023.
michaelt 2mo ago
> To be fair, the problems you describe existed before AI To an extent, I guess? But in the past if one wanted a diagram and didn't care about copyright they'd grab an image like https://i0.wp.com/www.engineeringchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Car-Engine-Parts-Names-with-Diagram.webp?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 https://i0.wp.com/www.engineeringchoice.org/wp-content/uploa... and reuse it unmodified. In the age of AI, one can hand it to an LLM and get https://mechaniclove.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/engine-parts-1024x683.jpg https://mechaniclove.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/engine-p... in a different style. And with messed up labels and the wrong number of holes in the gaskets.
tripzilch 2mo ago
> To be fair, the problems you describe existed before AI, though I concede it has gotten worse. I do think it's fair to say it's gotten a lot worse. Before AI-generated imagery, an hilariously bad (yet human created) engine diagram as described above, might actually be shared among my friends for laughs. Because it didn't happen that often. Now it happens a lot more often, and they aren't human created (which was only funny for a very short while).
a96 2mo ago
No human drawing an engine would have called an oil pan a crank shaft. A thing that in no way resembles a crank or a shaft.

TeMPOraL 2mo ago

Same reason fishermen put baits on the hooks, or hunters make weird sounds: it helps attract unsuspecting victims closer, increasing the chance of extracting some value out of them.

DaiPlusPlus 2mo ago

> the problems you describe existed before AI No, the problem of mass-produced, outright wrong, educational graphics flooding image-search results did not exist before 2023.

michaelt 2mo ago

> To be fair, the problems you describe existed before AI To an extent, I guess? But in the past if one wanted a diagram and didn't care about copyright they'd grab an image like https://i0.wp.com/www.engineeringchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Car-Engine-Parts-Names-with-Diagram.webp?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 https://i0.wp.com/www.engineeringchoice.org/wp-content/uploa... and reuse it unmodified. In the age of AI, one can hand it to an LLM and get https://mechaniclove.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/engine-parts-1024x683.jpg https://mechaniclove.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/engine-p... in a different style. And with messed up labels and the wrong number of holes in the gaskets.

tripzilch 2mo ago

> To be fair, the problems you describe existed before AI, though I concede it has gotten worse. I do think it's fair to say it's gotten a lot worse. Before AI-generated imagery, an hilariously bad (yet human created) engine diagram as described above, might actually be shared among my friends for laughs. Because it didn't happen that often. Now it happens a lot more often, and they aren't human created (which was only funny for a very short while).

a96 2mo ago

No human drawing an engine would have called an oil pan a crank shaft. A thing that in no way resembles a crank or a shaft.