Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Arts and Tourism, Andrea Barbour, expressed regret for sharing a photo that she had edited using artificial intelligence to commemorate National Tourism Week. Barbour’s social media post featured her standing in front of The Rooms in St. John’s, accompanied by tourism-related statistics for the province. However, eagle-eyed viewers pointed out discrepancies in the image of the cultural site.
Observers noted that the proportions of the building were slightly distorted, and the iconic caribou sculpture was conspicuously absent. In its place, a logo reading “the ROOMS” with a blue swish was inserted. The altered image sparked swift criticism both online and in the House of Assembly, where Liberal Gander MHA Bettina Ford accused Barbour of utilizing AI to manipulate the photo.
During the backlash, Barbour initially denied the use of AI but later confirmed it to reporters. The caribou silhouette outside The Rooms holds significance as a symbol of Newfoundland’s involvement in the First World War, notably the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel in 1916. Ford emphasized the importance of this symbol to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Barbour admitted that she hastily used AI to combine two photos to acknowledge National Tourism Week, creating a graphic with herself in front of The Rooms. Despite her lack of familiarity with AI technology, she expressed remorse for the unintended alterations made to the image and acknowledged her mistake as an artist. Following the backlash, Barbour deleted the modified photo and shared the original image along with the statistical graphic.
The Liberal party of the province seized the opportunity to contrast Barbour’s original and altered images of The Rooms on social media, inviting followers to spot the discrepancies.