An election issue cover for Los Angeles magazine featured AI-generated versions of mayoral candidates Nithya Raman and Spencer Pratt instead of real photographs. The collage-style image included a Ghana flag and a burning Los Angeles landscape, with Raman depicted leaning into Pratt. The magazine stated the cover was fake while the crisis was real, framing it as a deliberate editorial choice. Many observers criticized the use of AI, comparing it to low-quality social media content and arguing that real photos and human graphic design could have been used. Some commenters suggested the manufactured appearance undermined the claim of a real crisis. Reports also linked the cover’s creation to co-owner Mark Geragos, despite staff pushback.
"The choice seems obvious-local political candidates for an election issue-except the cover did not actually feature Raman and Pratt, but rather AI-generated versions of them. As a whole, the cover looks like an obvious AI-generated collage, with Raman leaning into Pratt, and the flag of Ghana next to a burning landscape of Los Angeles in the background."
""The cover is fake. The crisis is real," L.A. magazine said of the cover on X, aiming to paint the image as a deliberate and assertive editorial decision. "Whether you love it, hate it, question it, or can't stop looking at it . . . this is the L.A. we're living in," the publication continued."
""Every time someone tries to use AI in a subversive or countercultural or 'highbrow' way, it looks the exact same as Facebook slop," content creator Matt Bernstein said in a response on X. "Hire a damn artist." Many echoed the sentiment, calling on the publication to hire humans to design the magazine's visuals."
""Why use AI? Real pictures of these people exist. A graphic designer could've done this cover relatively quickly. This type of shit is why people don't fuck with LA mag," a user said on X. Another one added: "It's funny because by using these AI pictures that don't look like either of the candidates, it seems like the crisis is as manufactured as the cover.""
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